Cops arrest five for cow slaughter

Five men were arrested from Ambernath on Sunday for slaughtering three cows and selling beef.

Five men were arrested from Ambernath on Sunday for slaughtering three cows and selling beef.

A few residents, on Sunday morning, alerted a beat marshall in Ulanchand about some people who had killed cows (HT File Photo)

The five accused are Ambernath resident and works as butchers. They were identified as Shafi Ibrahim Quereshi, 40, Riyaz Mohammed Shaikh, 38, Azad Nizamuddin

Quereshi, 26, Sajjad Nizamuddin Quereshi, 33, and Yusuf Kashif Shaikh, 45.

A few residents, on Sunday morning, alerted a beat marshall in Ulanchand about some people who had killed cows. The constable reached the place to find three dead cows and rescued two calves.

A constable from Ambernath police station said, “When the news reached us, we alerted our seniors, who arrested the five accused. They were planning to sell the beef at higher prices at a local market.”

B Wagh, an office at Ambernath police station, said, “The accused will be produced in court by tomorrow. We have also seized two choppers and knives that we think were used to kill the animals.”

The accused were booked under sections 429, 34, of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act 1995.

Shakuntala Majumdar, president of Thane SPCA, said, “Cattle-stealing incidents are becoming very common and one of the reasons for this is the unregulated cattle in the area. These animals are stolen for quick money before festivals. This can be curbed if the authorities keep a tab on the cattle and sensitized and vigilant police patrolling.”