Nagpur: In a decisive crackdown on organised animal cruelty and inter-state crime, the Nagpur Rural Police have invoked the draconian Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999, against a 12-member cattle smuggling gang operating across Maharashtra and neighbouring states. Seven accused, including the alleged kingpin, have been arrested, while efforts are on to nab the remaining five.
Police said this is the first recorded instance in Maharashtra where MCOCA has been slapped on a cattle smuggling syndicate, a clear signal that the State will no longer treat such rackets as routine offences under animal protection laws. The action follows repeated violations of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act and other statutes, despite the cow slaughter ban being firmly in place since 1976 and strengthened further in 2015.
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The move came after a horrific incident on November 15, when a truck illegally transporting 37 cattle caught fire on the Nagpur-Katol road near Fetri village under Kalmeshwar police station limits. The fire, triggered by a tyre burst and intense friction, turned the vehicle into a death trap. As many as 29 cattle were burnt alive, their suffering compounded by the fact that they were tightly tied with ropes and beaten. Eight animals survived and were rescued, later being shifted to a cowshed in Raulgaon. The driver abandoned the blazing truck and fled, exposing nearby villages and motorists to grave danger.
A high-level investigation led by Superintendent of Police (Rural) Harssh A Poddar and Additional SP Anil Mhaske unearthed what officers described as a well-oiled, inter-state organised crime network dealing in illegal cattle transport for slaughter.
According to police, the syndicate was headed by Mohammad Nasir Mohammad Shafi Qureshi (40) of Mahendra Nagar, Teka Naka, North Nagpur, who owned heavy trucks used for the operation. Cattle were sourced from Chhattisgarh, concealed in forested pockets such as Pangaon village in Salekasa taluka of Bhandara district, and then ferried in smaller vehicles to isolated locations near Nagpur. From there, the animals were brutally crammed into large trucks and moved towards Amravati and further destinations for slaughter.
Investigators revealed that the gang employed scout vehicles to dodge police checkpoints, operated mainly at night, and used deceptive tactics, including ambulances and pick-up vans, to avoid suspicion. Among the key accused are driver Syed Sultan alias Sonu Hamid Ali (33), loaders Aamir Rauf Qureshi (29) and Rafiq Qureshi (32), suppliers Shoheb Naushad Syed (26) and Manohar Bhojraj Mangate (26), and Ikhtiyar Qureshi Mushtaq Qureshi (33), besides others.
The criminal history of the gang spans multiple districts, with cases registered in Nagpur Rural, Kamptee, Mauda, Teosa, Navegaon, Gondia, Bhandara and Wardha, as well as in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni, Chand and Lodhikheda. Despite repeated prosecutions under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Motor Vehicles Act, the syndicate continued its operations unabated, fulfilling the legal criteria of “continuing unlawful activity” under MCOCA.
By invoking MCOCA, police have secured provisions for longer custodial interrogation, stringent bail norms and enhanced punishment, significantly tightening the noose around the accused. The move was taken following directions from Inspector General of Police, Nagpur Range, Sandip Patil, a senior officer confirmed.
“This is a clear message that organised cattle smuggling will be treated as a serious organised crime, not a minor offence,” said Additional SP Anil Mhaske, adding that the action could serve as a precedent against similar rackets operating across state borders. Animal rights groups have welcomed the move as long overdue, while police officials asserted that sustained operations will continue to dismantle networks thriving on cruelty, illegality and rural exploitation.
