Mangaluru: A man, who was allegedly involved in illegal cattle transportation was shot in the leg by police, after he attempted to flee and rammed his vehicle into a police jeep at Eshwara Mangala in Puttur Rural police station limits, in the early hours of Wednesday.The police identified the injured suspect as Abdulla, 40, a native of Kasargod, Kerala. SP Arun K said that Puttur rural police carried out a search drive based on a tip-off about illegal cattle transportation. He said, Abdulla , along with another suspect, was driving a vehicle carrying 12 cattle illegally. When the police signalled the driver to stop, Abdulla sped away. This prompted police to chase the vehicle for nearly 10 kms. During the chase, the accused allegedly rammed his vehicle into the police jeep. Following this, the PSI fired two rounds. While one bullet hit the vehicle, another struck Abdulla’s leg.He was immediately taken to the Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru. Meanwhile, the other suspect in the vehicle, managed to escape, and is currently absconding, the SP said. Abdulla was accused in a case registered under the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, at Bellare police station in July. “After being released from judicial custody, he committed the crime again. Preliminary investigation suggested that he transported the cattle illegally from Hassan. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway,” the SP added.Misinformation: SP warns actionIn a related development, the SP warned of legal action against those spreading misinformation in connection with the incident. “In a viral video, Hindutva leader Arun Kumar Puthila was seen helping the police open the truck in which the cattle were being transported illegally. Clarifying this, the SP stated that Puthila, who arrived at the scene, noticed this and informed the police, requesting permission to unload the oxen from the vehicle (as can be seen in the video). The police agreed to this, to prevent further cattle deaths. Subsequently, a knife was brought from a nearby house to cut the ropes that tied down the cattle. The knife in Arun Kumar Puthila’s hand was brought from a nearby house,” the SP said.“In such situations, the police sometimes seek assistance from locals and others, such as relocating patients, transporting bodies, clearing vehicles from roads, unloading oxen, etc. Anyone who engages in unauthorised acts should be considered offenders. An analysis of the cases registered so far shows that the accused involved in cattle trafficking and arms act cases belong to various religions. Therefore, it is requested that if any institution or organisation highlights a case solely because the accused belongs to a different religion or conceals it because they are of their own religion, people should question their motives and not support their agenda,” the SP said, warning legal action against those spreading misinformation.
