Sharan P, the divisional head of the Bajrang Dal, said the only cow slaughter facility in Mangaluru was in Kudroli, where the licence from the City Corporation was to slaughter only 12 cattle per day, that too after certification from the veterinary surgeon.

“But the volume of beef that is available in the market was equivalent to that of 50 cows. The smugglers are entering the homes of farmers in remote areas and are forcibly taking away milch cows from the ‘Hatti’ (cowsheds). They are usually armed with lethal weapons and in many cases, threaten the farmers with physical harm in case they resist their moves.

Cattle Traders Appeal To SC

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, an association of cattle traders and transporters has appealed to the Supreme Court against cow protection rules that came into existence in 2017. The association has stated that the rules are being used to ‘seize’ cattle being transported. In response to the appeal, the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice S A Bobde has directed the Central government to respond to the appeal.

The petition was filed by the Buffalo Traders Welfare Association on the ground that their cattle was being ‘forcibly taken away’ and sent to cattle sheds in the country. The traders, however, appeared to be trying to mislead the court over the definition of beef. “The appeal also does not specify if it was buffalo meat or beef,” said legal experts who are contesting the appeal.

The 2017 rules against animal cruelty and cattle slaughter, however, specify that the meat of cows, bulls and calves (notified as beef) are non-negotiable under this Act. The rules of 2017 have, however, not been passed by Parliament, as is required under various sections of the 1960 cow slaughter ban.

Docket For The Central Legal Team

Shenva, who himself is a legal professional, says, “We are preparing a docket for the central team of lawyers informing them of the cow theft in coastal Karnataka, which has become a bone of contention between the minorities and Hindus. There are instances when cow smugglers have even stolen milch cows like HF and Jersey from farmers, thus causing panic in the dairy industry.

The milk unions of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Goa, Hubballi and Dharwad have been complaining to the police about the systematic theft of their milch cows. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Gau Rakshana Prakoshta have appealed to dairy farmers to not sell their cows and bulls when they pass their productive age, and instead, give them to the regional gaushalas (cow shelters) of their respective districts.

Menace Of Illegal Slaughterhouses

The police have been cracking down on illegal slaughterhouses in the coastal region. In Mangaluru alone, there were a couple of dozen illegal slaughter houses. Many of them were in thickets in remote areas, or under bridges, or in the woods on the outskirts of cities like Chikkamgaluru, Hassan, Kodagu in Karnataka and recently in several pockets in Goa, point out VHP leaders.

Police in South Goa have already unearthed illegal slaughterhouses, while in places like Yellapura, Ankola and Joida in Uttara Kannada, activists have been keeping close vigil and with the help of police have brought efforts at illegal and stolen cow slaughter to nought.

In a bid to outwit the police, cow smugglers in Mangaluru have begun putting in place slaughter facilities inside their vehicles. Soon after they steal the animal, they start slaughtering them on the move and throw the waste into rivers, claim the activists.

The legal think tank of the VHP and the Prakoshta have cited Article 43 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which empowers citizens to bringing cow thieves to book. The law should be used to the fullest, they assert.

“Dakshina Kannada district and Mangaluru taluk have more than 12 sites of illegal cow slaughter. Chembugudde, Kannuru, Jokatte, Moodbidri, Ullal, Bengre, Kadaya in Uppinangady, Pottukere, Kelaginapete of Buntwal and a few other places are notorious for illegal cattle trade and slaughter,” says Shenva.

All these places and another 15 places in Udupi district and 12 places in Uttara Kannada have also been included in the advisory being sent to the central government.