Anuraag Singh By

Express News Service

BHOPAL: Over a dozen cows have been found dead in a swamp and adjoining hillock close to a gaushala (cowshed) operated by BJP worker Varun Agrawal in Rabadiya village of Dewas district.

Acting on the issue, the Dewas district police have registered a case under the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act against Varun Agrawal and his aides Satish and Mahesh and process of initiating action against Varun Agrawal, who runs the gaushala is underway, the additional SP (ASP-Dewas) Jagdish Dawar said on Wednesday.

The incident came to light from Rabadiya village under Tonk Khurd police station (15 km from Dewas district headquarters) when a man Amba Ram, who resides in Dewas town came to the gaushala in search of his cows which were sent there by Dewas Municipal Corporation team after being caught wandering on the streets.

Since the municipal corporation doesn’t run gaushala on its own, it sends stray cows for shelter and care at registered gaushalas, one of which is owned by the BJP worker and food grain trader Varun Agrawal in Rabadiya village.

Amba Ram found that his 5-6 cows were there in the gaushala, but also saw some other cows stuck or dead in a swamp just near the gaushala gate. He also saw carcasses of other cows lying abandoned on a hillock close to the gaushala and stray dogs feeding on the bovine carcasses.

The matter was informed to Dewas Municipal Corporation (DMC) top brass, after which a team came to the spot on Wednesday to take stock of the matter. The team found cows stuck in the swamp (one of the cows had died) just outside the gaushala gate, besides carcasses of 10-12 other cows on the hillock close to the gaushala.

“Coming to know about the development, a team led by circle SP (CSP) Anil Singh Rathore and two police station in-charges was sent to the gaushala. The team found that cows were housed in the gaushala beyond capacity. Also some cows that were stuck in the swamp were rescued, but one of the cows had already died. Subsequently, case against three persons, among them the gaushala operator Varun Agrawal has been registered under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and further action is underway,” ASP-Dewas Jagdish Dawar said.

Importantly, the gaushala operator Varun Agrawal was felicitated as a social activist at the Independence Day function in Dewas on August 15.

When contacted by The New Indian Express, the Dewas BJP district president Nandkishor Patidar said, “Varun Agrawal is a leading trader, who isn’t an office bearer of BJP, but a simple worker of the party,” said Patidar.

Importantly, the Kamal Nath government is working at establishing 1000 gaushalas in the state to ensure that none of the around 7 lakh stray cows remains homeless by 2020 end.