TURA: A group of villagers in Zikzak has seized cattle that were being allegedly smuggled to Bangladesh. The villagers also accused the officer in-charge of Kalaichar outpost of conniving with the smugglers in the region.
The villagers, who are members of a farmers’ club at Degligre in Zikzak said that eight cows were being smuggled through the forest in the village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Kalaichar police outpost. The seizure took place last week.
“The animals were left to graze in their area despite laws prohibiting free movement of animals and grazing to protect the plantations,” said one of the villagers.
The farmers have accused the officer in-charge of Kalaichar of using threat and coercion to get the seized animals released. In his defence, the police officer said the cows were already auctioned and so the farmers should return them.
The farmers said though the cows were auctioned by one Budish M. Marak of Kalaichar, they were being taken to Bangladesh. “The persons who were hired to take the cows to the Bangladesh border confessed that they had been asked to do so,” claimed the Degligre villagers.
They also questioned the police officer’s intention in directing the cattle owners, who were apparently innocent, to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 to the village court to get the animals released.
