26 cattle seized from Eicher truck in Chandrapur, driver held, one accused absconding
Police stopped the truck at Savarkar Chowk and found 24 cows and two bulls packed in; the driver was arrested and a Gadchandur man is on the run.
Chandrapur police have seized an Eicher truck carrying cattle for smuggling at Savarkar Chowk. The action took place on the morning of October 1, 2026, in front of the police headquarters, within the limits of Ramnagar police station. The truck held 24 cows and two bulls, 26 head of cattle in all.
The police team had received secret information in the early hours of October 1 that cattle were about to be transported illegally. Acting on it, police set up a blockade in the Savarkar Chowk area at around 5:40 am. At around 7:40 am, an Eicher truck bearing the number MH 34 T 3211 was seen approaching in a suspicious manner. Police stopped it.
A search found the 24 cows and two bulls crammed inside the truck with extreme cruelty. The inquiry found that the animals are roughly 8 to 12 years old.
Police seized goods worth Rs 20.40 lakh from the spot. These include the Eicher truck, valued at Rs 15 lakh, the 26 cattle, valued at Rs 5.20 lakh, and a Vivo mobile phone worth Rs 20,000.
According to police, the truck driver, Prashant Balaji Jumnake (30), of Ward No. 4, Gadchandur, Korpana tehsil, Chandrapur district, was taken into custody and arrested on the spot. Munna Sheikh of Gadchandur, Korpana tehsil, Chandrapur district, believed to be the main organiser of the smuggling, has absconded. Police are searching for him.
A case has been registered at Ramnagar police station on charges of illegal transport of cattle and cruelty to animals. It invokes Section 11(1)(d)(e)(g)(h) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and Sections 5(A), 9 and 11 of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976 (amended 2015), along with Sections 3(5) and 49 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The action was carried out by the Chandrapur sub-division team. Ramnagar police are conducting further investigation, and the search for the absconding accused continues.
