2 cops hurt as scuffle breaks out over cattle shifting, 31 arrested

Patna: At least 31 people were arrested after an altercation broke out between two groups in Phulwarisharif area of Patna over shifting of cattle, which were under police protection.
ASP Phulwarisharif, Vikram Sihag, said the incident took place on September 6 around 2pm at Sangat village under Phulwarisharif police station area, when one group was illegally shifting 38 cattle to another place without taking permission of the police or the court.“This was opposed by the other group, leading to a heated argument and a mild scuffle between the two sides,” he said.
“The police immediately controlled the situation and police force was deployed in the area. Altogether 31 people from both sides have been taken into police custody with the help of the CCTV footage. The situation is peaceful at the moment. Flag march was also carried out and appeal was made to people to maintain peace,” the ASP told TOI.
According to police, around 38 cattle were being transported in a truck by the alleged smugglers, which was stopped by some people in Sangat village during the intervening night of September 3 and 4. They informed the police, following which an FIR was registered under the Animal Cruelty Act, 1960 and the cattle were rescued and kept in a cowshed under the police protection.
However, on Friday an altercation broke out between two groups, when a group of people were shifting the cattle from the cowshed without taking permission of the police or the court. Additional SHO of Phulwarisharif, Diwakar Prasad, said, “One group wanted to take away the cattle from the village while the other was trying to stop them. Police personnel present there repeatedly asked them to maintain peace, but no one listened to the police and started pelting stones in which two policemen were injured. The police immediately controlled the situation.”