A 22-year-old former employee of a gaushala was arrested on Saturday for allegedly poisoning 28 cows and 26 calves to death in Khodna Khurd village in Greater Noida’s Surajpur last week. The suspect Dharmendra, a resident of the same village, was sacked one month ago because he was a drug addict and involved in petty crimes, said his employer. The suspect had bought poison from Dadri and mixed in the fodder to take revenge from his employer.
The complainant Omveer Singh, 45, said that he owned 30 cows and 26 calves in his gaushala in the village. “I had hired Dharmendra one year ago for caretaking of the cattle. However, one month ago I sacked him because he was a drug addict and he stole people’s valuables. He had been nurturing a grudge against me since then,” he said.
Singh said that from October 22, 2021, the cows and calves started felling unwell and started dying mysteriously.
Ajay Kumar, SHO Surajpur police station, said that Singh had performed the last rites of some of the dead cattle. “But the cows and calves started dying one after another. Singh then called a veterinary doctor who examined the cattle and said they have been poisoned. But in the last few days 28 cows and 26 calves had died,” SHO said.
Singh then informed police on Friday. A police team reached the spot and launched an investigation. “We found a suspicious slipper in the gaushala. The complainant informed police that the slipper belongs to his former employee, Dharmendra, who was sacked recently. The police then picked up Dharmendra who admitted to have committed the crime,” he said.
The suspect revealed that he had developed ill-will against his employer after he was sacked. “He had visited Dadri market and bought a packet of poisonous substance – Chu Mantar – and mixed it in the cattle fodder. While fleeing the spot, his slipper was left behind,” said SHO.
A case has been registered against him under Sections 3 and 11 of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and Sections 3 and 8 of Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter. Act. “The suspect was produced in court and sent to judicial custody,” police said.
The complainant said he suffered nearly ₹10 lakh loss in this incident.
A 22-year-old former employee of a gaushala was arrested on Saturday for allegedly poisoning 28 cows and 26 calves to death in Khodna Khurd village in Surajpur last week.
The suspect — identified as Dharmendra — a resident of Khodna Khurd village, was sacked a month ago because he was a drug addict and was involved in petty crimes, according to his employer. Following this, Dharmendra bought poison from Dadri and mixed it in the fodder to take revenge from his employer.
The complainant — Omveer Singh, 45 — said that he had 30 cows and 26 calves in his gaushala, and suffered nearly a ₹10 lakh loss in the incident. “I had hired Dharmendra one year ago for maintenance of the cattle. However, I sacked him a month ago after finding out that he was a drug addict and he had stolen valuables of people (which people? other employees?). After that, he had been nurturing a grudge against me,” he said.
According to Singh, the cows and calves started falling unwell from October 22, 2021, and dying mysteriously.
Ajay Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Surajpur police station, said, “The cows and calves started dying one after the other. That is when, Singh called a veterinary doctor who examined the cattle and said that they were poisoned. But in the last few days, 28 cows and 26 calves died,” Kumar said.
Singh then informed the police on Friday, and a police team launched an investigation in the matter. “We found a suspicious slipper in the gaushala. The complainant informed the police that the slipper belonged to one of his former employees — Dharmendra — who was sacked recently. The police detained Dharmendra and he admitted to have committed the crime during questioning,” Kumar added.
“Dharmendra visited a Dadri market and bought a packet of poisonous substance — Chu Mantar — and mixed it in the cattle fodder. He left behind his slipper while escaping the gaushala,” he said.
A case has been registered against Dharmendra under sections 3 and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and sections 3 and 8 of the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act at the Surajpur police station on Saturday.
“The suspect was produced before a court and sent to judicial custody,” said a police official, requesting anonymity.
