Mangaluru: There has been a rise in the number of goats being stolen across Dakshina Kannada district, a trend that activists attribute to the steep spike in the price for mutton. Meanwhile, activists speaking for those who have lost their goats to theft, have demanded that the cattle theft and illegal transport detection squad constituted by Mangaluru city police to probe the string of crimes.
President of the Democratic Youth Federation of India’s (DYFI) Karnataka unit Muneer Katipalla questioned the lack of seriousness with which the law enforcement agencies were dealing with these crimes despite rising instances of theft of goats. “Since there is a religious sentiment attached with cows and cattle, cops take cases involving their theft very seriously, but that is not so with the stealing of goats. Although farmers reported theft of goats initially, poor response from the cops has left them demotivated, and many of them are no longer filing complaints.” Katipalla told TOI.
A goat is likely to fetch Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 on the market. Most cases of goat theft have been reported from Panambur, Surathkal and Moodbidri. In a recent case reported in Jokatte, a farmer Abubacker Bava lost three of his ten goats that he had set to graze near his house. Katipalla said that they had been observing a spike in the instances of goat theft for the past four years. “We appeal to police to look into these cases seriously, and initiate appropriate action,” he added.
Around two months ago, Panambur police filed a case wherein eight goats had been stolen. “We are examining closed-circuit television camera footage, and have got leads after interrogating a few people. Most of the goats were stolen when they were grazing,” a senior cop said.
Tauseef Ahmed, founder of Mr Rescuer, an agency dedicated to the finding of lost and stolen livestock, called on those involved in the rearing of goats to be more careful. “Letting goats roam on the streets of the city is dangerous, since they may sustain injuries or worse, die in accidents. When they are out grazing, goats must be accompanied by someone,” he said.