20 calves headed for slaughterhouse die as van overturns

Hassan: Nearly 20 calves died when a mini truck overturned at Dyavanakoppa in Belur taluk in the wee hours of Thursday.

It is learnt that some miscreants tied their legs and gagged them while transporting them to a slaughterhouse. When the driver of the truck saw policemen at the check post, crashed into an electric pole.

The driver and the cleaner extricated themselves from the overturned truck and fled from the scene. Eyewitness said that more than 50 calves were crammed into the small truck.

While some died due to asphyxiation some were killed in the mishap. As the State government has banned slaughter of cattle, miscreants are resorting to illegal transportation during night. Belur MLA Lingesh visited the spot and rescued 30 calves.

He said the government abruptly introduced ban on cattle slaughter without any preparedness. The government failed to keep its promise to open a goshala in every Hobali, he said and lamented that all the dead calves were 15 days to one month old.

It is said that the calves were being transported in for Moharam. Halebeedu police registered a case.