2 Bihar men held in Palamu for smuggling cattle

Daltonganj: Two men from Bihar were arrested in Palamu district on Friday for allegedly smuggling six heads of cattle in a cramped four-wheeler, officers said on Saturday. The accused were identified as Ashok Yadav, 45, from Bhojpur, and Kamta Yadav, 22, from Buxar.Acting on a tip-off, Sadar police intercepted the vehicle near Chiyanki while the animals were being transported from Obra in Bihar to Ranchi via Daltonganj. The vehicle and animals were seized.Both the accused were produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody under sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Jharkhand Bovine Animal Prohibition of Slaughter Act.SDPO (Sadar) Rajesh Yadav said that the accused failed to produce any valid documents for transporting the animals.

“There were sufficient grounds to believe the animals were being taken for slaughter,” he added.Officers stated that such animals are often transported in highly inhumane conditions without space, food or water to maximise profits.The rescued animals have been handed over to a local caretaker on a written undertaking for their upkeep and maintenance, police sources said.