Panel to probe mass death of cattle

Kathmandu/Surkhet, Aug 31

The Ministry of Home Affairs formed a four-member probe panel led by its Under-secretary Sagarmani Pathak to investigate the mass death of cows and oxen in Katkuwa and ByureniKhola of Birendranagar Municipality, Surkhet.

Joint-secretary Ram Krishna Subedi said the panel had started investigation. “The panel will probe why 370 cows, oxen and calves were ferried to Surkhet from Kanji House of Nepalgunj, what led to the death of 24 cattle, who were responsible for the crime and what action should be taken against the guilty,” Subedi informed. Office-bearers and employees of Nepalgunj sub-metropolis are under the panel’s scanner.

Eighteen cows and six oxen were found dead in Katkuwa and ByureniKhola and over a dozen cattle were injured. According to MoHA, Nepalgunj city police were ferrying 370 cattle from Kanji House to ‘Sristhan of Dailekh district’ in trucks via Surkhet. Preliminary investigation suggests cattle had fallen into the stream 20 metres below the road along Ratna Highway.

A team comprising police, ward chair of the concerned local level and a veterinarian went to the incident site and conducted public inquiry and post-mortem of dead cattle. They were later handed over to Birendranagar Municipality for carcass management. Similarly, 144 cattle wandering in the forested area of Birendranagar Municipality were rescued and taken back to Nepalgunj. Some cattle are still missing.

Joint-secretary Subedi said five trucks used for ferrying cattle to Dailekh had been held along with drivers.

The Civil and Criminal Code Act criminalises cow slaughter and anyone involved in such offence will be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.

“The perpetrators will be handed down punishment,” Subedi said.

Surkhet District Police Office Spokesperson DSP Rabi Rawal said, “We’ve sent back 144 uninjured  cattle to Nepalgunj.”

According  toBirendranagar Municipality officer PrakashPoudel, 11 of the bovine  were dropped from the vehicle near the police check post at Subbakuna  at night. “Eight have died so far,” said Poudel.

Nepalgunj sub-metropolis said it had sent 291 cows and oxen to Shirsthan in Dailekhas farmers there had shown interest in keeping them. As per the letter of Banke District Administration Office, the cattle were sent to a religious site in Shirsthan.

Dailekh’s Bhairabi Rural Municipality, however clarified there hadn’t been any communication on acquiring  cattle from Nepalgunj. The Shirsthan Temple Management Committee also  issued a statement today saying it hadn’t sought any cattle  from Nepalgunj.

According  toNepalgunj sub-metropolis Information Officer Sharad Kumar Poudel, the cattle were being transported to Dailekh under the supervision of  municipality police, but as they started dying on the way, those in-charge returned to Nepalgunj fearing protest from locals.

The post Panel to probe mass death of cattle appeared first on The Himalayan Times.

from The Himalayan Times https://ift.tt/34fKMx9
via IFTTT