Inter-state cattle thieves arrested by the Bajpe police

Inter-state cattle thieves arrested by the Bajpe police

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 03, 2014:  The Bajpe police have nabbed inter-state cattle thieves who had stolen cattle from the cattle shed of Puneeth Kumar by threatening family members brandishing lethal weapons at Kuppepadavu.

 According to the police, the arrested are Mohammed Ashfaq alias Badavara bandhu (25) of Jokatte, Nisar (25) of Neerupade and Ummar Farooq (28) of Maddadka in Belthangady.

There are five more accused in the gang who are still at large. The police have seized three vehicles from the accused.

The police said that the duo were engaged in threatening the family members by dispalying lethal weapons while taking away the cattle. They have stolen over 1,000 cows in the last one and half years. After stealing the cattle, they used to be sold in Bantwal, Beltnangady and Madikeri.

The accused had taken away four cattle from the house of advocate Bhaskar Kattemar in Kuppepadavu on June 17. The residents of Kuppepadavu had staged a protest by blocking the road in protest against the increase in cattle theft. The protest was withdrawn after the ACP promised to arrest the culprits within 10 days.

The police arrested Nisar of Addoor on July 1. ACP Ravikumar said that the accused were engaged in lying low in day time and become active during night. The accused have confessed to stealing cattle from the house of Vidyadhara in Mucchur.

Cases have been filed in Karkala, Belthangady, Uppinangady, Sullia, Puttur, Mudigere, Kadur and Theerthahalli police stations. In fact, the police had arrested the trio in Uppinangady and Puttur one and half years ago.

The gang members had expanded their activities in the neighbouring Kerala and had formed a team for the same. They were collecting Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per cattle from the slaughterhouse. They were also engaged in selling the meat to the illegal abattoirs in Bantwal, Mangalore and Uppinangady.

The accused had entered into the business for leading a lavish lifestyle. Their target was to steal 10 to 12 cattle in a month. In fact, they had purchased two Tata Sumo Gold and one Suzuki Alto vehicles to transport the cattle by altering the vehicles.   The accused were produced before the court which remanded them to 15 days judicial custody.