In a landmark crackdown, the Nagpur Rural Police on Monday invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999, against a 12-member gang involved in a sophisticated interstate cattle smuggling and slaughter network. This marks the first instance in Maharashtra where the organised crime law has been applied to a cattle smuggling syndicate.
The Incident That Unraveled the Network
The case came to light following a tragic incident on November 15 this year. A truck carrying 37 cattle caught fire on the Nagpur-Katol road near Fetri village, under the jurisdiction of the Kalmeshwar police station. The blaze, triggered by a tyre burst and subsequent friction, resulted in the deaths of 29 animals who were tied up and beaten. Eight surviving cattle were rescued and shifted to a cowshed in Raulgaon.
The driver fled the scene, ignoring the risk to nearby settlements and the damage caused. This led to a high-level probe supervised by SP (Rural) Harssh A Poddar and Additional SP Anil Mhaske.
A Sophisticated Interstate Racket
The investigation revealed a well-organised criminal enterprise. The alleged gang leader was identified as Mohammad Nasir Mohammad Shafi Qureshi (40), a resident of Mahendra Nagar, Teka Naka, in north Nagpur, who owned large trucks for transportation.
The gang's modus operandi was elaborate. They sourced cattle from Chhattisgarh and temporarily held them in forested areas like Pangaon village in Salekasa taluka of Bhandara district. The animals were then transferred in smaller vehicles to deserted spots near Nagpur, before being crammed into large trucks for transport to Amravati and beyond for slaughter.
To evade police checks, the smugglers used scout vehicles, operated under cover of darkness, and employed deceptive tactics like using ambulances or pick-up vans.
Stringent Action and Legal Precedent
So far, seven accused, including the leader, have been arrested. Police are conducting probes to nab the remaining five members. The key arrested individuals include driver Syed Sultan alias Sonu Hamid Ali (33), loaders Aamir Rauf Qureshi (29) and Rafiq Qureshi (32), among others.
Police records showed the gang had prior offences registered at multiple police stations across Maharashtra, including Nagpur rural, Kamptee, Mauda, and in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni. Despite repeated cases under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act (which bans cow slaughter), the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and the Motor Vehicles Act, their illegal activities persisted.
This continuity of unlawful activity justified the invocation of MCOCA, following instructions from IG, Nagpur range, Sandip Patil. The move allows for extended police custody, tougher bail conditions, and harsher penalties.
Additional SP Anil Mhaske stated that this action aligns with broader state efforts to curb interstate cattle smugglers and could set a precedent for targeting similar organised gangs. Animal rights advocates have hailed the decision as a significant victory for animal welfare.
The police have vowed to sustain operations to dismantle such networks, signalling a zero-tolerance approach towards organised animal cruelty and smuggling rackets that threaten both rural livelihoods and animal welfare.
