Cattle impounding team attacked in Rajkot as govt set to extend drive to villages

The duo were rushed to the government-run civil hospital for treatment. RMC officers said the two victims regained clear vision after medical treatment and that prima facie, their eyesight didn’t suffer any permanent damage.

Chetan Nandani, deputy municipal commissioner, said that prima facie, it seemed the assailants sprayed diluted acid on the ANCD staff. “The two staff members complained of burning sensation after being attacked though there were no visible burn injuries. We suspect the assailants used acid but as it was diluted, the staff members escaped grievous hurt,” said Nandani.

The attack comes days after RMC intensified its cattle impounding drive following a direction from the Gujarat High Court and the state government on August 24. Accordingly, the ANCD had formed a third team on August 27 for continuing its cattle impounding operations through night hours also.

“The attack on our staff notwithstanding, we will continue our operations of impounding cattle straying on city roads. After the directions from the Gujarat High Court and instructions from the state government to intensify the drive, we had discussion with DCP-Crime (deputy commissioner of police-crime) and they have assured us full cooperation. So, our drive will continue under police protection,” Amit Arora, municipal commissioner of Rajkot said.

Based on a complaint filed by Dosaniya, the Thorala police have booked two unidentified men under IPC Sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant from discharging his duty) and 114 (common intent).

“There was only one impounded cattle in the tractor-trailer when the two men attacked our staff, suggesting it was a pre-planned attack,” said Bhavesh Jakasaniya, RMC veterinary officer, adding the ANCD staff has impounded 225 cattle heads from city roads over the past one week.

Meanwhile, the cattle impounding drive is set to extend to villages from next Monday as the state government has ordered the removal of stray cattle from roads in villages having a population of 5,000 or more as well as in those villages falling on the state and national highways.

After the meeting of the state cabinet on August 30 and following instructions from Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, additional chief secretary (panchayats) Vipul Mitra held a video-conference with district development officers of Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Bhavnagar whose headquarters are governed by municipal corporations.

“We have instructed talatis (village panchayat secretaries) to convene meetings of the village panchayat to intimate elected leaders of village panchayats about the government instructions and sensitise them about the menace of stray cattle. The elected leaders will appeal to cattle owners to get their cattle in their sheds and enclosures by Sunday. Panchayats will start impounding stray cattle from Monday onwards,” said Rajkot DDO Dev Choudhary.

He said his office has also instructed taluka development officers to hold meetings with gaushalas and panjrapols in their respective jurisdictions and enlist their support for the drive. “We have suggested that village panchayats set up facilities to confine impounded cattle by using their local funds,” added the DDO.
Stray cattle will also be impounded from villages falling in the five-km radius of municipal corporations, said Choudhary.