Buffalo thieves giving sleepless nights to farmers, Haryana police

KARNAL: Rise in incidents of theft of buffaloes in northern parts of Haryana are giving sleepless nights to farmers and police.

As per reports collected from different police stations, most incidents were reported from villages in Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar. The aggrieved farmers had filed complaints of theft of buffaloes but police have failed to get clues about the accused.

“Two days after I purchased a buffalo at Rs 70,000, it was stolen from my cattle yard on the intervening night of July 3 and 4. I filed a police complaint at Karnal’s Sadar police station but they have failed to get any clues so far,” said Sunil Kumar, of Bijna village in Karnal.

On the same night, the thieves stole two buffaloes of farmer Sarwan Pradhan, of Kailash village in district.

He had also filed an FIR at the same police station.

Dairy farmer Darbari Singh, of Kheri Mansigh village, had also filed a complaint of theft of his two milking buffaloes from his cattle farm last month.

Another farmer Jai Pal Singh, of Garhi Jattan village, had filed a complaint at Indri police station and alleged theft of his two buffaloes of around Rs 1.40 lakh from his farm on the intervening night of June 23 and 24.

According to the farmers, the thieves come between 2-4am in groups of 5-10 in pickup vehicles and steal milch buffaloes, which cost around Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

The farmers said the thieves come from Uttar Pradesh and do not steal cows as there is a strict law against cow smuggling and slaughtering.

Stolen buffaloes are taken to cattle mandis in Uttar Pradesh but police have failed to arrest them.

The crime investigation agency of Kaithal police had arrested three members of a gang involved in buffalo theft on July 5.

The cops said the accused belong to Uttar Pradesh and they confessed to have stolen 18 buffaloes from Haryana and Punjab in the past two years and eight buffaloes were recovered from their possession.

Cops associated with the investigation said most people involved in theft of buffaloes come from Uttar Pradesh.

Karnal SP Ganga Ram Punia said investigation of all cases has been entrusted to a special team of CIA and some accused have been identified on the basis of material available with use.

To prevent such crime in future, two nakas have been set up at Manglora and Shergarh Tapu villages (Haryana-up border), which may be used by accused near Yamuna river.

Two days after I purchased a buffalo for Rs 70,000, it was stolen from my yard. SUNIL KUMAR, Bijna village resident

All cases have been entrusted to a special team of CIA. Some accused have been identified. GANGA RAM PUNIA, Karnal SP