Bengaluru, Jan 13 (IANS): Karnataka Police on Monday nabbed one person in the shocking incident of slashing of the udders of three cows in Bengaluru, which took a communal turn and created tension in the city.
However, the BJP and the owner of the cows slammed the Karnataka government over the development and cried 'foul play' in the handling of the case.
The shocking incident was reported from Chamarajpet locality of Bengaluru on Sunday and led to tension in the communally-sensitive region.
Considering the seriousness of the issue, the police nabbed the accused on Monday.
DCP (West) S. Girish stated, “An incident of some miscreants partially cutting the udders of three cows had taken place in the early hours on January 12 at Vinayak Nagar in the Cottonpet police station limits.”
An FIR was registered under the Cruelty to Animals Act and Section 325 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act.
During the course of the investigation it was found that one person named Sheikh Nasru, aged 30 years from Champaran District of Bihar had committed the heinous act in an inebriated state, DCP Girish revealed.
“He works as a helper in a plastic and cloth bag stitching shop 50 metres away from the place of the incident. No other person is found to be involved,” the DCP maintained.
He has been arrested and remanded to Judicial Custody till January 24.
The cows after being treated are presently out of danger, DCP Girish stated.
Meanwhile, G. Karna, the owner of the injured cows stated that it was impossible for one person to commit the crime.
“The government is hushing up the case. Why has the accused been sent to judicial custody hurriedly without investigation?” he claimed.
“The people behind the incident should be booked,” he demanded.
A BJP leader and former IPS officer Bhaskar Rao alleged that incidents of cows being slaughtered in the city is a conspiracy and an atrocity aimed at driving out Hindus of the locality to seize land.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday at the BJP state office in Bengaluru, he criticised the statement by five-time elected leader Zameer Ahmad Khan about purchasing three cows for the owner in place of the three injured ones as “shocking.”
He questioned, "Is this some kind of plaything to buy cows during the Sankranti festival? Do they lack humanity?"
“The incident has come as a major shock to Hindus and fortunately, no bloodshed occurred in Chamarajpet, which could have led to communal unrest,” he stated.
Bhaskar Rao added that philanthropist Sajjan Rao had donated land 100 years ago for an animal hospital, which currently shelters 2,227 animals.
He alleged a plan to demolish the hospital without consulting anyone to build a school and insisted on continuing the animal hospital without transferring it.
A large protest had occurred earlier, with cow owners leading it.
He condemned the incident on January 12 as not just deplorable but unforgivable and demanded the arrest of the ‘true’ perpetrators.
He accused CM Siddaramaiah of giving undue freedom to Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan, which he described as encouraging destructive acts, not development.
He questioned why no case was filed under Section 153 (for promoting enmity) and demanded immediate action.
He alleged that the actions were aimed at driving out cattle owners to take away the hospital land.
He criticised the lack of cases filed under the anti-cow slaughter law.
Bhaskar Rao demanded the arrest of the ‘real’ accused and stated that even if thousands of cows were given to their owners, it would not absolve the perpetrators of their sins.
He emphasised the need for development in poverty-stricken Chamarajpet. "CM Siddaramaiah, you are indulging in politics. Instead of development, majority properties and cattle are being attacked," he alleged.
BJP state spokesperson Dr Narendra Rangappa, BJP Bengaluru Central District President Saptagiri Gowda, and District Secretary Uday were present at the press conference.