Officials are waiting for the postmortem report to ascertain the cause of death and are investigating who was responsible for stuffing all the animals inside a small room. (Representational)

Forty-five cows were on Saturday morning found dead, allegedly due to suffocation, after over 50 bovines were locked up in an old gram panchayat room in Medhpal village of Bilaspur district as part of Roka-Cheka, an age-old tradition which has now been made a government scheme, according to sources.

During Roka-Cheka, village elders decide how to stop cattle from entering farmlands by taking them to a ‘gothan’ (shelter).

The incident, which comes days after the state government launched the Godhan Nyaya Yojana, has triggered strong reactions from the BJP.

Officials are waiting for the postmortem report to ascertain the cause of death and are investigating who was responsible for stuffing all the animals inside a small room.

On Saturday morning, villagers living near the old gram panchayat bhawan complained of a strange smell from the building, sources said.

“There were 50 animals, out of which 45 died. We have removed the bodies and we are waiting for the postmortem. A case has been registered against unknown persons under Section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc.) of the IPC and Section 13 ( destruction of suffering animals) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” Bilaspur IG Dipanshu Kabra said.