BHOPAL: As many as 17 cows have been found buried in the premises of a government school in Dabra area of Gwalior district – the home district of Madhya Pradesh animal husbandry minister Lakhan Singh Yadav.
A primary probe by police into the Wednesday evening incident also suggests that the cows (including calves) were locked possibly in one of the rooms of the school building for three-four days, where they died possibly due to starvation and suffocation in the overcrowded room.
While a case has been registered against unidentified accused under provisions of the state’s anti-cow slaughter law, the MP Gauvansh Vadh Pratishedh Adhiniyam 2004 and the JCB machine used for burying the cows has been seized, a detailed probe by the SDM has also been instituted into the matter.
"The SDM has been tasked to conduct a detailed probe into the entire matter and submit the report within two days. Based on the findings of the report, all those found responsible or wanting in the matter won’t be spared. Accountability will be fixed on all concerned departments in the matter based on the findings of the probe," Gwalior district collector Anurag Chaudhary told TNIE on Thursday.
Importantly, coming to know about the matter, Chief Minister Kamal Nath tweeted on Thursday, "Saddened by the death of 17 cows in Samudan village of Gwalior district. A probe has been ordered and stern action will be taken all those responsible. Such incidents cannot be tolerated as the government is committed to cow conservation."
The incident which came to light at around 8.30 pm on Wednesday happened inside a government middle school located in Samudan village on Dabra-Gwalior road (around 40 km from Gwalior district headquarter). "Some gausevaks (cow protectors) spotted cows being buried inside the school premises and informed the police at around 8 pm. By the time police rushed to the spot, the accused had fled from the spot leaving the JCB machine behind in the school premises," Dabra police station in-charge Yashwant Goyal said adding that the police subsequently exhumed the carcasses of the buried cows.
Subsequent police investigations led the cops to a room in the middle of the school building where bloodstains suggested that the cows could have been locked there for 3-4 days for being starved and suffocated to death in the overcrowded small room. "The real cause of death of cows could be known only after their autopsy is done," the Dabra police station in-charge said.
The dead cows were buried in a small field inside the school premises, clearly suggesting that locking and killing the cows, before burying them wasn’t possible without the collusion of the government school staff.
Importantly, after assuming power in Madhya Pradesh, the Kamal Nath government has embarked on a mission to render home to an estimated 10 lakh stray cows in the state. While the state government will build 1000 gaushalas (cowsheds) by November 2019, it also targets to build 3000 gaushalas (cowsheds) by 2020.