Udupi: In a prompt and coordinated effort, the Kota police under Brahmavar sub-division arrested two repeat offenders for allegedly stealing a cow near the Bidkalkatte market.
The case surfaced after Jayaprakash Shetty (48), a resident of Hardalli Mandalli village, received a video on his phone showing the theft. The footage, recorded around 3:50 am on July 19, captured three masked individuals arriving in an SUV from the Hunsemakki side. They forcibly dragged a sleeping cow, tied it by the neck with a rope, and shoved it into the vehicle before escaping in the direction of Shiroor.
Following the complaint, police filed a case at Kota Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
A team led by Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna and including SI Raghavendra C, along with constables Sridhar and Raghavendra, conducted a detailed investigation. Acting swiftly on leads, they arrested the accused—Imran alias Kuttu and Irshad—and confiscated the SUV used in the crime.
Imran, a resident of Pudu in Bantwal taluk, has a lengthy criminal history with 35 registered cases, including cow slaughter, theft, rioting, attempted murder, and Arms Act violations across several districts like Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, and Kodagu. Irshad, from Ganjimutt, is also a habitual offender with 14 cases in multiple districts, including Chikkamagaluru and Mangaluru city.