In the view of increasing cases of smuggling of cows along the inter-State border areas, the State Police are going to set up a joint task force along with animal husbandry department to check bovine smuggling, said State Director General of Police BS Sidhu on Friday. Special Task Force, Uttarakhand teams have been directed to be vigilant along the inter-State border areas to apprehend the smugglers.
Sidhu said that bovine slaughter is a punishable offence under the Uttarakhand Cow and its Progeny Protection Act 2007 while abetting it or hiding evidence of such crime amounts to a crime too under the IPC. Despite this, cases related to smuggling of cows and cow slaughters are on the rise in the state. Acting on a tip-off regarding slaughter of cows in the past, STF teams apprehended the culprits. In coordination with the animal husbandry department officials, STF teams will act on the information about smuggling of cows to put a tab on it in the State, he added.