Chhattisgarh: 200 cows die in shelter run by BJP leader

Bhopal: A local BJP leader in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district was on Friday arrested following death of at least 200 cows allegedly due to starvation in the cow shelter run by him. Deaths of 30 cows due to starvation have so far been confirmed officially.

According to the police, villagers have reported deaths of at least 200 cows due to hunger and lack of medical treatment in the cow shelter run by the local BJP leader Harish Verma who is also the Jamul Nagar Nigam vice-president in Durg district, a couple of days ago.

“He was arrested on Friday evening after being booked under sections of 4 and 6 of Chhattisgarh Agriculture Cattle Preservation Act- 2004 and section 11 of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of Indian Penal Code,” police said.

The incident came to light when the local sarpanch Seva Ram spotted trenches dug up near the cow shelter to bury the dead cows. “Prima facie it appears the cows died due to lack of fodder. Post mortem of 27 dead cows have been done in the last two days”, veterinary officials said on Friday. The BJP leader, however, attributed the mass death of cows to the collapse of a wall in the shelter.

The police was also investigating into the reports that the skin and bones of the dead cows were sold to the traders dealing with them, sources disclosed to this newspaper. The cow shelter has been run by the BJP leader for the last seven years. CM Raman Singh ordered a probe.