DGP: Cruelty against animals equals cruelty against religion

Noting that cruelty against cattle and birds is against human religion, Rajasthan Police chief Manoj Bhatt Friday said it was a moral duty of the force to stop their smuggling .

Police personnel across the state “have to take effective action immediately against gangs and people involved in smuggling of cattle”, the director general of police said.

Bhatt made the comment while addressing a day-long workshop of select station officers from all the districts. The workshop was oganised by People for Animal, Angel Eyes and Animal Welfare Board at the police headquarters in Jaipur.

It aims to create awareness among policemen about legal provisions against cattle smuggling and powers they have in curbing cattle smuggling.

Bhatt said camel, the state animal of Rajasthan, was being smuggled to Gulf countries via Bangladesh and police were continuously taking action against smugglers.

“It is a moral duty of police to stop smuggling of animals and birds such as camels and buffaloes,” Bhatt said, adding that if general public cooperates then animal smuggling can be stopped to a large extent.

Additional DGP (crime) Pankaj Kumar Singh asked police personnel to take minute information from subject experts and take effective steps to stop smuggling and cruelty against birds, cattle and wildlife.

Union woman and child development minister Menaka Gandhi’s advisor Gauri Maulekhi said police officers were told about how cows and camels were being smuggled and what steps they can take to stop such incidents.