BJP leader Nirmala Devi Shandilya has been booked after district administration recovered carcasses of around 60 cows from her shelter in the Bairasiya area of Bhopal on Sunday, the district collector said.
Shandilya had been running a cow shelter in Bairasiya for the past 30 years. On Sunday, some villagers shot video of carcasses of cows that were left abandoned in a dry well near the shelter and posted on social media. Later, a team led by district collector Avinash Lavaniya visited the shelter.
“During the visit, we found about 60 carcasses of cows, but most of them were found decomposed fully. About half a dozen cows were killed in the past one week and their carcasses were sent for post mortem to know the reason behind the deaths. The FIR was registered for not disposing of the carcasses after death. A health camp was also organised to check the health condition of remaining about 200 cows,” said Avinash Lavaniya, the collector.
Bairasiya police registered a case under section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of Indian Penal Code against Shandilya.
{{/usCountry}}Bairasiya police registered a case under section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of Indian Penal Code against Shandilya.
{{/usCountry}}After the case, the district office took over the administration of the shelter and now Vikas Mishra CEO, district panchayat office, will take care of cows.
Clarifying the incident, the BJP leader said, “I am the leader of BJP. I am popularly known as Gaushala Wali Madam. A few cows died due to cold and old age. How much attention do we give? Many times, they consume polythene that also causes the death of cows. I am an elderly lady. This is a conspiracy hatched by opposition leaders to defame me.”
After videos went viral on social media, Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said, “In Berasiya Bhopal, the cow bones and leather trade was going on in the cow shelter run by BJP leader Shandilya. Today more than 500 cows were found dead. A case of cow slaughter should be registered on the board of directors of the cow shelter. Is Shandilya doing the leather and bones business? This too should be investigated. The grant received by this cow shelter in the last years should also be investigated.”