In a fresh instance of cow vigilantism against cattle trade, a trader failed to get his animals released even after producing a court order for the same here on Thursday.
Abdul Wahab, the trader from the city, bought 12 bulls from the market at Parkal of Warangal district on Sunday. On the way, at Ghatkesar, the vehicle was waylaid by a cow vigilante named Arjun Singh and the animals were handed over to the Ghatkesar police.
The bulls and vehicle were confiscated by the police, who sent the animals to a shelter run by Sri Krishna Trust at Attapur. A case was filed under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, as the only case that could have been made out was for overloading of the truck.
“The truck was to carry only eight animals, but we loaded with 12. After paying penalty for the offence, we obtained the release order from the court on Wednesday evening and approached the police station,” Mr. Wahab related.
A police constable accompanied them to the shelter, but the organisers refused to hand the animals over to him, asking him to come after a few days, he alleged.
When enquired, the SHO of the Ghatkesar Police Station N. Prakash said that the shelter housed 500 animals and there was no marker to identify Mr. Wahab’s bulls. The owner of the shelter who had taken the animals in was not available to recognise them. Procedures were not followed by the Gaushala by which the animals could be easily identified.
“Due to all this, we are forced to pay rental for the overstay of the animals, for no fault of ours,” laments Mr. Wahab.
