22 cows die in Punjab's Phagwara gaushala, suspicion of poisoning

PHAGWARA: Twenty-two cows died in a gaushala (cow shed) between Sunday late evening and Monday morning, with suspicions of poisoning.

It was reported that the cows began frothing at the mouth and collapsing late on Sunday evening. The gaushala management promptly called veterinarians, and as the news spread, scores of volunteers arrived at the scene.

The gaushala has separate sheds for cows that are no longer milch, and the tragedy occurred in this enclosure. By Monday noon, three cows were still being treated in the shed, while the deceased animals were moved away.

“Around 7.30pm on Sunday workers at the gaushala noticed one cow frothing and then collapsing. As they rushed to it, they started seeing symptoms in other cows also. Though veterinarians rushed to treat the cows, 18 of them died till around mid-night and another four died till morning,” said Rakesh Gosain, who heads the Gaushala located along Arorian Wala Talab.

Hindu groups gathered outside the gaushala demanded that the truth must be brought out that who poisoned the cows and the guilty must be punished.

Political leaders from across parties including Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar, former MPs Som Parkash and Vijay Sampla, local MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal and former MLA Joginder Singh Mann visited the gaushala. Later in the day Kapurthala deputy commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal and SSP Gaurav Toora also visited the gaushala.

In the morning Hindu groups gave call for Phagwara bandh after which the markets remained closed.

Phagwara SDM Jashandeep Singh said that the carcasses of cows were sent to Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Ludhiana.


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