KOCHI: The state government on Monday informed the Kerala High Court that the police have arrested one person in a case registered in connection with abandoning more than 30 buffaloes in Palakkad.
Sangeeth Lewis of Kollam, who is the owner of the buffaloes, is absconding, say police.
Justice TR Ravi directed the Palakkad Municipality to continue to maintain the animals on its premises.
Government pleader TS Shyam Prasanth submitted that 35 buffaloes were found in a deplorable condition without water and food on private land and two of them died. The post mortem report of the two dead buffaloes revealed that they were died due to reduced food and water intake. The Palakkad Town North police have registered an FIR against Sangeeth Lewis, the owner of the buffaloes, James George of Agali, and Ravi of Tamil Nadu. James was arrested on June 6, while two others are absconding.
According to the police, nobody has come to look after the buffaloes since April 24. Now, the Palakkad municipality is taking care of the animals. The investigation in the case is going on, submitted the government pleader.
The report of the Palakkad animal husbandry department stated that only 21 buffaloes are remaining.
The reports are filed in response to the petition filed by Karthika, Secretary, People for Animals (PFA), seeking a directive to provide proper medical care to the animals.
When the case came up for hearing, advocate Bhanu Thilak, counsel for the petitioner, informed the court that they are ready to take care of the animals and there should be a direction not to auction them. The court then asked the petitioner to explain how they proposed to transfer 21 buffaloes to Thiruvananthapuram where the office of the PFA is functioning. The court further directed the government pleader to arrest the owner of the buffaloes at the earliest.