‘Cow slaughter’ in Etah: Dept recommends to rope in police to supervise gaushalas

The gaushalas in the state are run either under government schemes or by NGOs.

A two-member committee comprising animal husbandry director (disease control and farm) Tarun Kumar Tiwari and assistant director Yogendra Singh Pawar prepared the report by conducting an inquiry after visiting the spot.

In the report, the committee has recommended that a list of gaushalas should be provided to the district police who be directed to pay regular visits to the shelters.

The panel said that besides involving police for security, CCTV cameras should also be installed in and outside the cow shelters. The committee has also recommended to engage watchmen at the cow shelters.

The committee, which recorded statements of several locals, concluded that the same group was involved in the two incidents of slaughter. In the first incident, animals were brought from elsewhere and slaughtered at the village, the committee report says. The inquiry team suspected that the absence of a watchman in the night and opening of the gaushala 3km from an inhabited area could also have led to the incident.

On May 3 morning, the police in Etah were was informed that unidentified 25-30 assailants broke open the lock of a gaushala at Panwas village the previous night and stole 14 cows. They slaughtered the animals in the open at a nearby place and took along the cow meat, leaving the animal remains behind.

The gaushala which had 83 cattle heads is operational for the last three years and has three caretakers. Also, six cows were killed by some people nearly 3km from Panwas a day before. The six cows were not from a gaushala.

Two FIRs were lodged against unidentified persons under sections 395 (dacoity), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act.

Tarun Kumar Tiwari said that directions are likely to be issued to the district authorities to implement the committee’s recommendations.