Three arrested for illegally ferrying two camels in Greater Noida

Noida: The police on Sunday night arrested three persons allegedly transporting two camels in a small pickup truck in Gautam Budh Nagar, under the Animal Cruelty

Noida: The police on Sunday night arrested three persons allegedly transporting two camels in a small pickup truck in Gautam Budh Nagar, under the Animal Cruelty Act.

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According to a volunteer of an NGO, People For Animals (PFA) who informed the police and currently has temporary custody of the animals, the two young male camels were allegedly being taken for entertainment purposes in wedding ceremonies. Later, the police stopped the vehicle carrying the animals along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and took them to the police station.

“We have arrested the three under Section 2/11 of Animal Cruelty Act, as the camels were stuffed in a small pickup truck which was not meant for that. The people transporting them also did not have any permission or ownership documents of the animals. We have sent the three, who are residents of Delhi, Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr, to jail and are investigating the matter,” said A K Pandey, SHO, Dankaur, Greater Noida.

According to the complainant, the animals were allegedly being carried without permission.

“We saw the pickup truck stuffed with two camels near Galgotias University while returning from work. I immediately informed a PCR and they came and stopped the vehicle. Later, the police handed over the custody to us and they will remain with us temporarily,” said Pragati Khanna, volunteer, PFA, Gautam Budh Nagar.

The animals were later sent to the shelter run by Smart Sanctuary in Greater Noida.

According to the PFA, the alleged transportation of the camels without permission was also in violation of The Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act 2015.

“Camels under the act are state property of Rajasthan and cannot be transported even for grazing purposes without permission out of the state. It had become a common practice of using them for show in wedding functions and the owners often charge anything from Rs 25,000 or more,” said Kaveri Rana, president PFA Gautam Budh Nagar.