Pune: Otur Police rescued 71 buffaloes and seized property valued at ₹64 lakh, including five trucks in a significant operation aligned with the Bakri Eid occasion. The police have arrested seven individuals in connection with the illegal transport of these animals, according to Assistant Police Inspector L.G. Thate of Otur.
The suspects have been identified as Mohammed Vakil Ikraar Khan (64) from Amarpoor, Bulandshahr, UP; Tohit Wahid Qureshi (45) from Shivajinagar, Mumbai; Usman Khan Ramzankhan (60) from Govandi, Mumbai; Rashid Abdul Rahim Sheikh (32) from Govandi, Mumbai; Firoz Soharab Malik (43) from Burhanabhugarasi, Bulandshahr, UP; Farooq Qureshi from Phaltan, Satara; and Mohammed Bilal Bhai Miyan Sheikh from Shivajinagar, Kurla, Mumbai. The police seized five trucks along with 71 live buffaloes and two deceased buffaloes.
As per police reports, a campaign was initiated to curb illegal animal transport and slaughter in Pune Rural District during Bakri Eid. A checkpoint was set up in Khubi within the Otur Police Station's jurisdiction. During vehicle inspections, five trucks were found carrying 73 buffaloes in inhumane conditions, without adequate food or water, and bound with ropes. The transport was being conducted without necessary permits, health certificates, or ear tagging, intended for illegal slaughter in Mumbai.
Out of the 73 buffaloes, 71 were found alive and two were dead. The live buffaloes were sent to Jivdaya Mandal Gaushala in Sangamner, Ahmednagar, for care. The total seized property, including the trucks and buffaloes, was valued at ₹64 lakh. The seven arrested individuals were charged under various sections of the Animal Protection Act.
This operation was conducted under the guidance of Pune Rural Police Superintendent Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional Police Superintendent Ramesh Chopde, and Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ravindra Chaudhary.
The team involved in this operation included Assistant Police Inspector L.G. Thate, Police Sub-Inspector Ajit Patil, Anil Kerurkar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Maheshkumar Jhankar, Police Constables A.K. Bhavari, Dhananjay Palve, Mahesh Patare, Bharti Bhavari, Dinesh Sable, Shankar Kobal, Suresh Gangje, Balashiram Bhavari, Namdev Bamble, Vilas Kondhawale, Nadeem Tadvi, Sandeep Lande, Bharat Suryawanshi, Jyotiram Pawar, Subhash Kedari, Shamsunder Jaibhaye, Vishwas Kedar, Rohit Bombale, Manojkumar Rathod, Kishor Barde, Ashish Jagtap, Vishal Godse, Ambudas Kale, Rajendra Bankar, Seema Kale, and police associate Shankar Ahinawe.
