Take severe legal action against cattle thieves: MLA Bharath Shetty

Mangaluru: “Severe legal action needs to be taken against those who steal cows and also those who support them. Rowdysheeter case has to be slapped on such people and they need to be exiled from the district itself. Good quality CCTV cameras have to be installed in main traffic junctions and the movement of such thieves needs to be monitored,” said MLA Bharath Shetty in a letter to city police commissioner Sandeep Patil, urging him to book rowdysheeter case on the illegal cattle stealers and traffickers and banish them from the district.

“Cattle theft has become a way to make easy money without any capital. It is a matter of concern that cow thieves are stealing cows from their shed by brandishing lethal weapons. An incident which occurred recently in Mangaluru North legislative constituency, in which a cow was stolen from a house has pained me,” he said.

“People who are dependent on the dairy for their livelihood are incurring loss due to this. The police department has to provide security and assurance to the dairy farmers who buy high breed cows by taking loans in bank. If cow theft is causing loss to the families who are dependent on the income from dairy, it is causing emotional disturbance to the Hindu community, which worships the cow. The time has come for the police department to conduct strict operation to put an end to the menace caused by the cow thieves and thereby maintain harmony in the society of Dakshina Kannada district,” said the MLA.

“The illegal slaughter houses that are functioning around the city of Mangaluru have become a blessing to these cow thieves. The stolen cattle is slaughtered in these illegal abattoirs. Such abattoirs have to be identified and action should be taken against those who are running these slaughter houses,” said Mr Shetty.

“A special meeting of the middlemen, who are into the business of buying cows, need to be held and they have to be warned not to buy cows without proper documents. It is not possible for an out and out stranger to steal the cow from any residential place. There is a possibility that the locals living in the vicinity are passing on the information to cow thieves. Even these people have to be monitored and action needs to be taken against them.”

“Inquiry should be conducted of people who buy cow for rearing as to whether they have required license and also the confirmation letter from a veterinarian. In order to maintain communal harmony, prohibitory order on the transportation of cows, that are legally sold, between 7 pm to 7 am needs to be enforced. A special police patrolling system needs to be implemented to prevent cow theft,” said the MLA.