Cattle menace claims life of biker in Trichy

TRICHY: A 44-year-old bike rider, who met with with an accident owing to stray cattle menace on Wednesday night and got hospitalised, died on Thursday. The incident has come at a time when the corporation has intensified crackdown on stray cattle heads to prevent road accidents.
According to sources, S Vincent Arockiaraj of Ramachandra Nagar in Edamalaipattipudhur was on his way to Trichy city from Pudukkottai on Wednesday night.When he neared Kozhipannai, he hit a stray cow on the road, lost control and fell off the bike. He was not wearing a helmet and sustained head injuries. Traffic south investigation wing attached to Trichy city police said he was bleeding from the ear and rushed to a private hospital in Sangiliyandapuram, where he died on Thursday. The body was handed over to his family after post-mortem at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in the afternoon.
It may be noted that the civic body has been impounding stray cattle heads and housing them at a shelter in Konakkarai. The owners can claim the cattle heads by paying a fine or the corporation will auction the animal after a week. The first auction took place last week.
However, officials have complained of stiff opposition from owners against impounding cattle in several places across the city. In some areas, police intervene and release the animals to avoid 'law and order problems'.
Sources said the civic body team expects more support from the local police when protests erupt. When contacted, Trichy police commissioner G Karthikeyan said the police will support the civic boy in impounding stray cattle heads. "They can inform the local police and get support whenever needed," he told ToI.