Constable Suresh Shinde

PUNE: A constable attached to the Dighi police suffered injuries in the early hours of Monday when he and a police marshal tried to stop a vehicle involved in illegal transportation of meat, suspected to be beef, on an open ground near Magazine Chowk in Dighi.

Acting on a tip-off about illegal slaughtering, the constable, Suresh Shinde, had rushed to the spot with the police marshal. The suspects fled in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) after dashing Shinde when they saw the policemen approaching them. Residents of the area intercepted the SUV, but the suspects managed to flee.

Shinde suffered injuries on his left knee. “He was discharged from the hospital after treatment,” said senior inspector Khanderao Khaire of the Dighi police.

He said the police station received a call at around 3am on Monday about slaughtering of cows on an open ground near the Magazine chowk after which the duo rushed to the spot. “On noticing them, the suspects boarded the vehicle and started running away,” Khaire said.

When Shinde tried to block their way, the driver tried to mow him down. He fell on the ground and injured his leg.

In the meantime, people had gathered on the ground. They chased the SUV and blocked its way. The suspects left the SUV and fled.

The police found meat in the SUV’s back seat. “They were illegally slaughtering animals on the ground,” Khaire said. Assistant commissioner of police ( Khadki division) Ganesh Gawade told TOI, “The animal husbandry department officer confirmed the seized meat was beef. Its samples were sent for a forensic test to ascertain whether it was cow, bullock or buffalo meat.” Gawade said the police were tracing the suspects.

He said the police has registered an offence under sections 307 (murder attempt), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle) of IPC and the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act and the Indian Arms Act.

Shivshankar Swami, a member of a cow protection group, said the suspects used to steal animals at night. “They first tranquillize the animal, then slaughter it in a vehicle at a secluded spot,” he said, adding that the police had found syringes in the seized vehicle.

