Residents block NH, protest against bovine smuggling

People protesting at Samba against bovine smuggling on Wednesday. — Excelsior/Gautam
People protesting at Samba against bovine smuggling on Wednesday. — Excelsior/Gautam

Excelsior Correspondent

SAMBA, May 3: The locals staged a massive protest demonstration against bovine smuggling and blocked National Highway for more than two hours, here, today.
The protesters assembled at Main Chowk here and shouted slogans against the police and civil administration. They alleged that some people of the area, with the connivance of the police, were indulged in bovine smuggling. They were demanding immediate arrest of the bovine smugglers.
The protesters said that some anti-social elements are habitual of bovine smuggling. They are stealing cattle from the local areas and in connivance with police were illegally transporting them in vehicles during night hours.
A protester Ravinder Singh said that number of cases of bovine smuggling have been witnessed in Samba over the past few days, but the police had failed to arrest the accused involved in habitual crimes.
He said, on the intervening night of May 2 and 3, two trucks carrying bovines crossed through Samba, but the police could not succeed to trace them. “We will not allow smuggling of bovine animals at any cast, especially, cows,” he added.
“In order to maintain peace and harmony in the area, we want the accused be booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) as they are habitual criminals”, he said.
Later, a team of officers led by Tilak Raj Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Samba along with DSP Headquarters Tanveer reached the spot and pacified the protesters. They assured that action will be taken against the culprits involved in bovine smuggling.