Udupi: Kota police arrested four men for allegedly transporting eight cattle, including two calves, illegally in a pickup vehicle near Tekkatte junction on National Highway-66 on Tuesday night.According to police, PSI Praveen Kumar R of Kota police station received a tip-off around 8.30pm that cattle were being transported from Koteshwara towards Udupi for illegal slaughter and sale of meat.A police team intercepted the vehicle around 9pm while checking vehicles near Tekkatte junction. The driver had stopped the vehicle about 50m away from the police team. When the personnel approached the vehicle for inspection, the four occupants allegedly attempted to flee but were detained.The accused were identified as Puneeth,27, from Motala in Chikkaballapur; Ganesh,26, from Bagepalli in Kolar district; Krishnappa, 40, and Srinivas,56, from Chikkaballapur.Police said six cattle, including two two-month-old female calves, were found inside the vehicle. The animals had allegedly been transported in a cruel manner, with nylon ropes tied around their necks and without adequate food, fodder or water. They were reportedly being taken for slaughter.Police seized the pickup vehicle, valued at Rs 2 lakh; eight cattle valued at Rs 29,000; two mobile phones, valued at Rs 4,000 and Rs 1,850 in cash. A case has been registered under Sections 303(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 8, 9 and 11 of the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 1964, and Section 11(1)(d) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
