Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Mar 11: A police team led by local deputy superintendent of police, Manjunath Shetty, took into possession a Maruti Omni van along with stock of hides of different animals found inside the van. The seizure was conducted near Koni village in
the taluk on Tuesday March 10.

The police team had signalled a white Maruti Omni van that was moving on Siddapur- Kundapur state highway near the gram panchayat building at Koni. The vehicle zoomed ahead without obliging. The occupants of the van abandoned the vehicle near a thicket on HMT Road in Koni, before taking to their heels.

A check of the van revealed that 48 animal pelts in whole including their horns had been stacked behind the driver's seat, and a tarpaulin was placed over the stack. It is suspected that the concerned had stolen cattle from some place, and had separated their hides from the flesh and bones. It is guessed that the concerned wanted to illegally transport these hides and sell the same at some spot. They would have been involved with similar activities in the past too.

The police have seized the car and hides and prepared inquest in the presence of witnesses. Value of the vehicle and pelts has been put at Rs 2.5 lac. The accused who fled the scene have been identified as Jabbar from Kody and Nassir from Kandlur in the taluk.