The policemen file a case of negligence against the cow's owner, who is an alleged habitual offender, and get the animal, suffering from a maggot infestation, admitted to hospital for treatment
The cow is undergoing treatment at the Parel animal hospital
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The Grant Road police have taken up the case of a sick cow in Kamathipura and fined its owner for repeated negligence, following complaints by locals.
The incident came to light when residents of Vanmali building took action against the owner of a pregnant cow, infected with maggots in her hooves and in pain for the last many days.
The cow with its wound
Days full of pain
"From the past four days, this cow was seen sitting near our building; we saw that her hooves were full of maggots. She appeared to be in excruciating pain; so, we called on the animal helpline a couple of times and got first aid administered to her. Simultaneously, we were searching for her caretaker, whom we managed to locate with the help of locals," said Nimesh Morakhia, a resident.
"We found out that the bovine was from a herd nearby; so, we asked the owner to take her back and give her the required treatment, but he refused to. Hence, we called a few animal activists and also informed the D B Marg police."
Officers sent the cow to the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals and booked the owner under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act for abandoning the animal.
According to the activist who was called, the owner is a habitual offender. "On June 15, we had lodged a complaint against the same man for keeping 40 cows in a deplorable condition in a mere 500-sqft area," alleged Harsh Shah, founder member of the Bird and Animal Helpline.
"We are planning to approach the magistrate court to entrust an NGO with the cowshed that this man has been running."
More cows abandoned
Other activists, who helped in the case, said such cases had been becoming common in the city with more and more cows getting abandoned by their owners. "They use the animals for their business and food, and then, leave them on the streets to eat garbage. It's not just about animal rights; these cows feed on garbage, and then, the owners sell the milk of these very animals to people," said Nirali Krodia from People for Animals, Mumbai.
Dr Jagdish Khanna, dean of Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals, said, "During monsoon, the tiniest wound on an animal can lead to a maggot infestation. It is a clear case of negligence from the caretaker of the cow. We have given her antibiotics and kept her in a dry ward."
Police speak
"We have registered a case against the cow's caretaker under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and sent the animal for immediate treatment to BSPCA's hospital in Parel. We have directed the hospital authorities to not give the cow's custody to anyone without our consent, once she recovers," said Pandurang Narayan Shinde, senior inspector from D B Marg police station.
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