Police in Odisha’s Malkangiri district police on Tuesday rescued 31 cattle which were being illegally transported to slaughterhouses in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The cattle-laden truck was intercepted on National Highway 326 near the Govindapalli outpost and the mute animals were saved from being slaughtered, said officials. Three persons believed to be active members of an interstate gang thriving on cattle smuggling have been arrested. They are being interrogated to elicit vital details on the modus operandi of the racket.
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The cattle from the state are mostly transported to West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Districts like Keonjhar, Jajpur, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, and Koraput are major transit points for cattle-laden trucks.
Stringent laws remain in force in the state, but the police, who allegedly act in collusion with the smugglers, often fail to enforce these legal provisions.
The Orissa Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1960, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Transport of Animal on Foot) Rules, 2001, are hardly complied with by the law-enforcing agencies.
It’s pertinent to note that the Animal Welfare Board of India had asked the state to establish police check posts at strategic locations and smuggling-prone spots along the interstate border to curb cattle smuggling. However, cattle smuggling continues unabated, with police check posts — intended exclusively to keep tabs on smugglers — functioning only on paper.
