The cow, police said, had escaped from a farmer’s shed. (Representative image)

BHOPAL: A 50-year-old man was arrested and sent to jail for sexually abusing a cow in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. This is a second such incident reported from this state where protection of the cow had been a key plank for BJP. Latest one was reported from Betul town on March 19, where the accused Sravan Vyas, was spotted in the unnatural act by three women. They reported the matter to one Mithlesh Kumar who called up police and got him arrested. The cow, police said, had escaped from a farmer’s shed.

He was charged under section 377 (unnatural sex) of IPC.

“We think he was in an inebriated condition and also under influence of some drugs that could not be deducted during the medical examination,” Pankaj Tyagi, the station house officer (SHO) of Kotwali police station told TOI.

There was also an unrest in the locality after local residents came to know about the incident. They wanted police to charge him under ‘The prevention of cruelty to animals Act 1960’.

“There was no evidence of any such cruelty to add that section. The section 377 of IPC covers it all,” said the SHO. He said cow will be handed over to its owner.

Earlier it was in 2013 that a 25-year-old man was arrested after being caught red-handed having sex with a cow at his neighbour's shed in Linga village of Balaghat District. Police had to use force to rescue the accused - Kankar Marar alias Chavanni –from angry villagers as they tried to lynch him. Marar too was in inebriated condition. He was arrested under Section 456 (lurking house- trespass or house- breaking by night) and Section 377 of IPC (unnatural sex).

While explaining himself out of mess, Marar told police that his wife left a year ago and that he doesn't have any one to settle his conjugal rights with and hence opted to do so with cattle. He was released on bail a few months ago.

