BARIPADA: More than 200 cattle were rescued by activists of right-wing Hindu group Sri Ram Sena along with locals near Seragada toll gate on NH-16 in Balasore district on Saturday. The cattle were reportedly being smuggled in two container trucks to West Bengal.
Sri Ram Sena activists Swadhin Das and Vikash Padhy said they had received information on cattle being carried on five container trucks from Khurda district late on Friday night.
The vehicles were intercepted near Seragada toll gate. While two trucks were detained by the Sena activists and locals, three others managed to escape.
Around seven persons who were escorting the vehicles on a Bolero jeep too managed to flee.
While 100 cattle were taken by locals, the rest were sent to Remuna Goshala. The Sena activists said Khantapada police were informed of the matter at around 4 am but they reached the spot only at 7 am.
They alleged the police reached the spot late deliberately as they are hand in glove with cattle smugglers and officials of the toll gate. Vehicular traffic on one portion of the NH was disrupted for several hours as Sena activists and locals staged a protest against the police for failing to check the illegal practice.
Khantapada IIC Sriballabha Sahu said at least eight persons were arrested under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
They are Moharam Khan, Kartik Behera, Sekh Tulu, Sekh Nuru and Shoura Swain from Khurda district, Sekh Pintu and Sekh Ishlam from Nayagarh and Sekh Papu from Tangi.
The two containers in which the cattle were being smuggled too were seized.
Six arrested for cattle smuggling
Nihalprasad police along with their Cuttack counterparts on Saturday arrested six persons for smuggling cattle in container trucks at Nityanandpur village in the district. Around 450 cattle were rescued from the vehicles.
The accused are Susant Sethi, Salim Khan, SK Abdul Rehman, Amir Khan, SK Sihanuti and Kailash Behera. Police also seized six truck containers, five smaller vehicles and Rs 5,600 in cash during the raid. Nihalprasad IIC Ratnakar Mallik said the container trucks carrying the cattle were bound for West Bengal.