Cow slaughter goes unabated; two arrested

Visakhapatnam: Ravikamatam police picked up two tribals from Medivada village of Ravikamatam mandal in the rural parts of the district on Tuesday after they received complaints from people that the villagers were killing cows in large numbers in an unorganised abattoir and selling the meat to the agents who supply meat to the star hotels and retail shops.

The police, however, said they will not make an official arrest and register a case unless they received a complaint. The HMTV team which visited the village and exposed the cow slaughters found that no complaint was made till late in the evening and the two detained persons might be freed.

“Cow slaughter is going all over the State, more so in the rural area where there is little or no awareness. We came to know about Medivada and planning to open a Gosala there very soon,’’ said founder president of Visakha Society for Protection of Animals Pradeep Kumar Nath.

It is multi-crore business and cannot be stopped unless the government is determined. They are killing pregnant cows and buffalos and even calves though the Supreme Court had passed strictures against such killings in the past. The Apex Court also directed to cull the animals and not do halal (slashing throats), Nath said.

He said slaughter has been going on at GVMC abattoirs at Hanumanthawaka and Gajuwaka though new modern abattoir has been opened at Paradesipalem a few months ago. The meat sellers obtained a High Court order and continuing. The district administration is making no efforts to stop butchering of animals in the abandoned GVMC abattoirs, Nath added.

There are more than 200 illegal slaughtering places in the district which get the animals from 13 recognised shandies. And at least 5o,000 cattle are slaughtered monthly. The demand for buffalo meat is around Rs140 to Rs 180 per kg and infirmed certified bulls around Rs 120 to Rs 140 per kg.

Veterinary doctors are being sent to shandies at least to ensure fodder and water given to the cattle and vaccine for prevention of diseases. but cannot prevent killing of the animals, a senior officer of veterinary department said.

According to activists, India has an estimated 3,600 legal slaughter houses and 30,000 illegal most of which slaughter cows. India has 76 million cows producing 140 million tonnes of milk a year.