Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal

Bantwal, Sept 21: In a swift crackdown, Bantwal Rural police raided an illegal cattle slaughter operation near Kerebali in Sangabettu village and arrested one suspect while several others managed to escape. The police rescued nine cattle, seized an auto, and recovered meat allegedly from a slaughtered cow.

The arrested accused has been identified as Tausif, a resident of Karnadu, Krishnapura, Mulki. However, the main accused, Nasir alias Husenabba, along with his associate Rashid and others, fled the scene during the raid and are currently absconding.

Acting on a tip-off about unauthorised cow slaughter taking place at a private residence in Sangabettu, a police team led by Bantwal Rural officers launched a surprise raid on the location.

Police officials confirmed that by the time they arrived, one cow had already been illegally slaughtered, and its meat was being processed. A total of nine other cows, allegedly brought in for the same purpose, were found tied up at the site.

The operation took place at a house in Kerebali, where Nasir, Rashid and others were reportedly conducting the slaughter in violation of state laws. The cattle are believed to have been stolen, police said.

All nine cows were rescued from the scene and handed over to a nearby goshaala (cattle shelter). The police also seized the meat found at the site, tools used in the slaughter, and an auto allegedly used to transport the animals.

A case has been registered at the Bantwal Rural police station under Crime No. 143/2025, invoking multiple legal provisions, including Sections 303(2) and 307 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 4, 7, and 12 of the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, and Section 11(d) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The arrested accused, Tausif, was produced before the Bantwal magistrate court, which has remanded him to judicial custody.

A search is underway to trace the remaining accused, police added.