Bhubaneswar: In a major rescue operation, 16 cattle being illegally transported to West Bengal were intercepted and rescued in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, following coordinated efforts by members of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
According to sources, activists received a tip-off about a truck transporting a large number of cattle from Sambalpur towards West Bengal. Acting on the information, Bajrang Dal and VHP workers set up vigilance near the Judia area along National Highway-49 within Keonjhar district limits. They intercepted a suspicious vehicle matching the description and, upon inspection, found 16 cattle packed inside.
The activists immediately alerted the local police, after which a team from the Sadar Police Station arrived at the scene and seized the Eicher truck bearing registration number OD-05-D-0190. Police also arrested three individuals, includingAllauddin Sheikh, who were involved in the illegal transport.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the truck had originated from Sambalpur and was headed towards West Bengal. Police have registered a case and initiated further investigations to identify other individuals and networks involved in the trafficking route.
Local residents and cow protection activists criticised the police for their alleged negligence, claiming that the truck had passed through nearly ten police station jurisdictions without being stopped. They alleged that such lapses highlight serious administrative inaction and raise questions about local law enforcement vigilance.
The activists urged the state government to take stringent measures against cattle smuggling, which, according to them, has become increasingly rampant in Odisha. They also pointed out that cattle are not only trafficked to West Bengal but also to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through interstate routes, despite existing laws prohibiting such activities.
Representatives of the Bajrang Dal and VHP emphasised that although Odisha already has strict anti-cattle-smuggling regulations in place, enforcement remains weak. They argued that if these laws were implemented with greater rigor, incidents of illegal transportation could be substantially reduced.
This rescue incident also comes in the wake of a recent directive by the Orissa High Court, which instructed the state government to take effective measures to curb cattle smuggling across the state. However, activists claim that administrative lethargy continues to undermine the implementation of these orders.
Local cow protection organisations have expressed hope that this latest rescue operation will prompt state authorities and police departments to act more decisively. They have called for increased surveillance on major highways and strict action against those facilitating or involved in cattle smuggling networks.
They further appealed to the government to ensure that such incidents do not recur, and that Odisha’s existing animal protection laws are enforced with greater seriousness and transparency.
