Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 24: While a well-knit mafia is controlling the entire bovines animals’ trade across the State with the help of some key officials and politicians, there has been over five times increase in the smuggling of animals to Kashmir valley via Mughal road in just one year.
Well placed sources told the Excelsior that this mafia, having patronage of some key top politicians and officials is running the illegal trade of bovines smuggling and Mughal road has turned out to be their favourite route for transportation of these animals. The data available has indicated that there has been over five- fold increase in the smuggling of bovine animals via Mughal road this year as compared to the last year. Highest number of vehicles and animals were seized under Surankote and Thanna Mandi Police jurisdiction in last 5-6 months.
It has been found that every time almost same vehicles are seized while smuggling animals and the same smugglers are arrested on number of occasions but they managed their release as well as of their vehicles using influence. Sources said that their movement is always during night hours and they pay hefty amount at some key ‘nakas’ to ensure their safe movement. Their nexus is so deep even within the police system that they some times manage to get the men of their choice deployed at the ‘nakas’. Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, Samba, Jammu and Udhampur are some districts where this smuggling is noticed higher as compared to other districts.
Poonch police in past six months managed to seize highest number of bovine animals in the State followed by Thanna Mandi in Rajouri which indicated that bovine animals smuggling is unabated and the implementation of law towards ‘harming’ of bovine animals is negligible. The State has provision to punish the accused under cruelty towards animals and Sections 298-A and 298-B of Ranbir Penal Code but there is no strict implementation at all. The seized animals after release again go to the smugglers and then they again manage to push them to some markets in Valley by discovering other means.
Data compiled from Poonch indicated that Surankote and Bafliaz police seized 520 bovine animals in just last six months as compared to seizure of 110 animals during last year. It seized 17 vehicles and arrested 22 persons/ smugglers last year while during last six months of this year, 65 vehicles were seized and 112 persons arrested. Just nine cases were registered during last year whereas, this year 33 cases have been registered so far.
In Rajouri district, the highest number of 300 bovine animals were seized during last six months and 65 persons arrested besides the seizure of 35 vehicles. Nowshera police seized 142 animals and arrested 64 persons. It also seized 31 vehicles during this period whereas, Sunderbani police seized 32 animals, arrested 15 persons and seized just seven vehicles whereas, the graph of Rajouri police has remained surprisingly the lowest during this period putting question mark at its performance on this count.
SP Poonch Shamsheer Hussain when contacted said that three nakas are laid permanently at three places on Mughal road to check the smuggling of bovine animals. He said Surankote police has done wonderful job and rescued the highest number of animals this year. When asked about the disposal of these seized animals, the SP said the seized bovine animals from the smugglers are given to the local villagers on ‘Spurdnama’ by police and then a challan is filed in the court of law.
The court then orders release of these animals and they are restored to their owners, means traders/ smugglers. Replying to another question, the SP said that their job is to seize the animals and check the smuggling and it is up to the court to see whether animals are in safe hands or not.
Sources said that after seizure these smugglers again devise new techniques and using unfair means again manage to carry these animals upto the destination by paying even more at the key check points. It said that this ‘lucrative trade’ goes on thriving and it is very difficult to control it as it is deep nexus within the system existing.
A senior lawyer, when contacted, said that unless there is demand there can not be supply. There is demand of such animals in Valley and smuggling goes on as the existing laws are very weak and their implementation is also negligible. He added that during Maharaja’s times there was stringent law and smuggling and killing of such animals was strictly prohibited. There was punishment up to 10 years of imprisonment and fine. Under Sections 298-A, 298-B and even 298-C, there is provision of punishment but the implementation is not satisfactory.
If these laws are strictly implemented, the smuggling of bovine animals will be controlled automatically. He alleged that Government has totally failed to implement the law properly and stop the cruelty towards animals in the State. The NGOs should also rise up to the occasion to oppose this menace, he added.
Sitting Bar president Jammu Advocate M K Bhardwaj said that there was immediate need to amend the existing laws for the protection of these animals. He said the enforcement of relevant law was very weak and in presence of existing weak laws, it was very difficult to control smuggling and protect these animals. There should be some proper identified places for keeping these seized animals and their safety should also be ensured, he added.
VHP State president Dr Ramakant Dubey when contacted said that State has failed to protect the bovine animals and implement the laws enacted for the purpose. He said there was big nexus within some police officials, politicians and some key bureaucrats and smugglers operating and its smuggling from Punjab, Himachal and parts of Jammu region to Kashmir valley goes on unabated. He said without the support of some cops and a few Animal Husbandry officials this smuggling is not possible.
Some times the police seizes vehicles just to fill their log books or show a little performance, otherwise, increasing smuggling via Mughal road has indicated that perhaps this route is only meant for bovine smuggling. Hardly, one week back over 200 animals were seized on just single day on this route and one can realize the gravity of the situation.
He alleged that NC led Government itself was encouraging this illegal trade of bovine animals in the State. He demanded strict implementation of laws under Ranbir Penal Code, stringent punishment for the smugglers, cancellation of route permits of vehicles seized on number of occasion and imposition of Public Safety Act on the men involved in bovine smuggling as it hurts the religious sentiments of the people. Dr Dubey recalled that Samba agitation was linked to this illegal trade and the Government must learn lesson from it.
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