COPS IN MADHYA PRADESH OUT ON HUNT FOR STOLEN BUFFALOES

Three buffaloes stolen from a former Congress MLA are giving sleepless nights to the Rajgarh police, which has launched a massive ‘buffalo hunt’, in a reminder of a similar exercise carried out by the Madhya Pradesh officers’ counterparts in Uttar Pradesh in February 2014. That time, it was Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s buffaloes that were eventually found but saw three officers getting removed for ‘dereliction of duty’.

Hoping not to see a repeat of UP incident, Rajgarh superintendent of police Simala Prasad said they have rounded up a few suspects. Angry Congress supporters Tuesday demonstrated in front of the police station.

On the intervening night of April 20-21, three buffaloes owned by former legislator Pratap Mandloi went missing from his house in Amba village in Kalipeeth police station limits.

A tip-off sent police to Machalpur village on Sunday, where some locals opened fired at them. Around 150 police officers went back to the village next day and searched each house, but in vain.

An officer involved in the search said, “It has become a matter of prestige for us, especially after the firing incident. We will nab them,” he said, adding that the vehicle used to take away the buffaloes has been recovered. “We have some suspects in the custody,” the SP said.

BHOPAL: