District SP Awinash Kumar on Sunday placed two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) of the Jaleswar police station, M Kamila and Bhagban Das, under suspension on the charge of dereliction of duty.
However, Kumar has not mentioned any specific reason which led to the ASIs’ suspension. Sources said the duo had left two cattle-laden vehicles free on Saturday though they had caught them while crossing the Odisha border near Jaleswar.“The ASIs were on duty yesterday. Though they had intercepted two cattle-laden trucks on the NH and found incriminating documents yet they left the trucks free to cross the interstate border gate. This might be the reason behind their suspensions,” said a senior police officer seeking anonymity.
In the meantime, a cattle-laden truck was caught under the Basta police station and the driver was forwarded to court on Sunday.
It has been alleged that while two to three vehicles carrying cattle cross Odisha border every day, transporters and drivers are found not to carry required approval certificates. Apart from update transport certificates, the truckers need to obtain other certificates pertaining to capacity of carrying and health conditions of the cattle from veterinary doctors. They also need to carry adequate water and fodder for the ferrying cattle.
“There is a set of guidelines to ferry cattle from one place to another. While Transporters in most of the cases are found not to possess requisite certificates and carry fodder and water, police leave these vehicles for the reasons best known to them,” said an activist.