Madhya Pradesh: Cow injured after being fed ‘explosive-mixed’ food

Days after the death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala kicked up a row, police in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh have launched a probe into the allegation by a man that a cow owned by him was injured after being fed with "explosive-mixed" food by someone.

A police official on Wednesday said that a case has been registered in this connection.

The owner of the cow, Om Prakash Agrawal from Ginjri village in Umaria, said that he used to let the cow out for grazing in the morning.

"The cow roamed within 500-metre area of the house and returned in the evening. But on June 14, she did not come back home. After a search for two days, the cow was finally found on Tuesday. However, we found that her lower jaw was badly injured," he said.

Agrawal said that he suspected that the cow was fed with explosive-mixed food by someone, due to which the animal suffered injuries on the mouth and the jaw.

"The cow is unable to eat anything and also feed her one-month-old calf," he added.

Talking to reporters, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sachin Sharma said, "We had received information that a cow was injured under Pali police station area. The police reached the spot and called a veterinarian, who provided primary treatment to the bovine."

"A case has been registered in this connection and the incident is being investigated. Further action would be taken based on the findings of the probe," he said.

Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal workers threatened to launch an agitation if those who injured the cow were not arrested soon.

"If police do not nab the accused in this case, we will find them out," Bajrang Dal leader Upendra Singh said.

The incident came days after the shocking death of a pregnant elephant dying of drowning after collapsing in Velliyar river in Palakkad district of Kerala due to starvation and exhaustion in the first week of June.

She had been found dead with major injuries in her oral cavities, possibly suffered after eating or having been fed firecrackers-stuffed pineapple.

After this, a similar incident was reported involving a pregnant cow in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.