The owner of the domestic cow had left her untied for grazing in the fields when the incident happened (Representational Image)
The Himachal Pradesh Police Saturday arrested a person in connection with the injury to a pregnant cow, which ate wheat flour mixed with explosive substances near a farm field in Bilaspur district late last month. The incident triggered an outrage on social media Saturday after a video posted by the owner of the cow, which showed the injured animal, went viral.
A similar incident in Kerala which recently led to the death of a pregnant elephant has been widely condemned across the nation.
According to the police, the incident occurred in Dahad village in Jhandutta tehsil at around 8pm on the night of May 25 when Gurdial Singh, the owner of the domestic cow, left her untied for grazing in the fields.
“The cow is believed to have strayed towards the neighbour’s fields in an area covered with bushes and shrubs, where someone had placed some wheat flour mixed with explosive substances,” said an official. The cow consumed the mixture, leading to an explosion, which caused severe injuries to her jaw and other parts of the mouth.
Singh got her medically treated and also informed the police, following which a case was registered at the police station in Jhandutta. He then uploaded a video on the internet, highlighting the “merciless and atrocious” act. In the video, he alleged that his neighbour had deliberately fed the cow with a ball of explosive material meant for killing wild animals, and called for strict action against the perpetrator. The video went viral with netizens expressing shock after seeing blood dripping from the wounded animal’s mouth. Officials said that the cow is currently in a stable condition and delivered a healthy calf a few days ago.
The police said that they have collected exhibits and samples from the spot, and sent the explosive substance for a forensic examination. “Judging by her injuries, we believe that the explosion occurred outside her mouth, but investigation into the incident is on,” said an official. He said that an FIR has been registered under sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) and 429 (mischief by maiming cattle) of the Indian Penal Code and section 11 (treating animals cruelly) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
DSP Sanjay Sharma, who inspected the spot of the crime along with members of the panchayat, told the media that the police are investigating the incident on a priority basis, and strict legal action will be taken in case of foul play. Bilaspur SP Devakar Sharma said that one person has been arrested in connection with the case. He said that the police are awaiting the forensic reports to ascertain the nature of the explosive material.