Cattle thieves strike across suburban chennai

Chennai: More than 30 heads of cattle were stolen by an unidentified gang from suburban areas of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet and Ambattur over the past one month.According to cattle owners , unidentified people travelling in load vans, many without registration numbers, have been targeting cows grazing in open areas and stealing them from residential localities during late hours.One such incident was reported from Ramapuram Nagar in Ambattur, where Ilango, a cattle farmer who owns more than 20 cows and goats, lost three cows on May 19. The animals, which had been taken for grazing, failed to return home.After searching , Ilango examined CCTV footage from nearby areas and found visuals of unidentified men loading the cows into a van and fleeing.Ilango claimed that despite repeatedly approaching the Ambattur Industrial Estate police station over the past five days, the personnel failed to take proper action.In another incident reported on Sunday, five cows were stolen from Ambattur by unidentified persons travelling in a load van. Similarly, three cows reportedly went missing from Kannadapalayam in Avadi.Farmers from Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet have now formed informal groups to trace the culprits on their own, claiming they have lost faith in police response.“Vehicles without registration numbers are repeatedly being used for these thefts. Police should intensify vehicle checks and immediately stop these crimes,” livestock farmers said.A senior police officer said that he will look into the issue. “We will enquire and ensure that cases are registered,” a police officer said.