Vehicle carrying cattle set afire in Odisha

The torching of the vehicle carrying three bullocks in Odisha’s Koenjhar was the latest in a series of such incidents in the state over the last six months

Updated on: Sep 8, 2023, 08:44:30 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A mob torched a vehicle carrying three bullocks in Odisha’s Koenjhar on Thursday over suspicion that the animals were being smuggled. It was the latest in a series of such incidents in the state over the last six months.

Police said over 350 cattle being trafficked have been seized in six months. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police said the vehicle carrying the bullocks halted at Dhanabeni when locals spotted it. “As several cases of cattle trafficking have been reported in the area, people suspected the vehicle owner was trafficking the cattle. The driver and other person in the vehicle fled before the mob set it afire,” said Dipti Ranjan Sahu, a local police officer. He added last month, locals intercepted another vehicle carrying 11 bullocks.

Three vans allegedly carrying around 100 cattle to West Bengal were set ablaze in Balasore last week after police allegedly did not take any action.

On September 14, a group called Go Surakhya Samiti intercepted the Puducherry-Howrah Express at Balasore station over allegations that it carried 31 cows without required documents. The train left the station after police verified the documents of the cattle transporters. Police said over 350 cattle being trafficked have been seized in six months.

The Union government has alerted Odisha about cattle trafficking from six Odisha districts to West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. It asked the state to set up police check posts at major entry points along the inter-state borders and control rooms for registration of complaints regarding illegal trafficking and movement of cattle.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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