KARWAR: The police sent 13 people, who allegedly beaten up the drivers and cleaners of two trucks which were allegedly transporting cattle on National Highway 66 near Basti village in Bhatkal taluk of Uttara Kannada district on Sunday night, to jail.
A group of people, mistaking that the cattle were being illegally transported to slaughterhouses, trashed four people --two drivers and two cleaners--, besides damaging the trucks. The police arrested 13 people and produced them before the court, which sent them to Karwar jail.
According to sources, 14 cows and 14 calf of Gir breed were being transported to a dairy in Thrissur of Kerala from Gujarat with relevant documents.
On Sunday near Basti, more than 200 people gathered on the highway and stopped two trucks which were carrying the cattle. Thinking that the cattle are being transported to slaughterhouses, they trashed the drivers and cleaners.
Murdeshwar police said the cattle were being transported with relevant documents. But the public beaten up the drivers and cleaners, besides damaging both the trucks. They also took away some cattle and calf and some silver ornaments of the drivers. All the four victims are undergoing treatment.
On Monday, the police booked cases under sections 341, 323, 324, 395 and 427 of the IPC and arrested 13 people and produced them before the court. The court remanded them in judicial custody in Karwar. Based on a video footage, the police are searching for other accused.
Ironically, both these trucks were caught at Hiregutti police check posts in Kumta taluk on Sunday evening. The people alleged that cattle were being transporting illegally.
The police at Hiregutti check post verified the documents and confirmed that the cattle are being taken to a farm in Kerala. Later on the same day night, again the trucks were caught at Basti near Bhatkal.
It is said that Mangaluru city south BJP MLA Vedavyas Kamath’s brother is one of the stockholder of the Kerala dairy and the cattle were being taken to there. The mob mistakenly trashed the truck drivers. However, Bhatkal MLA Sunil Naik tried to settle the issue and spoke to the cow vigilantes and the victims.