When stolen VIP buffaloes gave UP Police sleepless nights

Stolen buffaloes of VIPs are keeping the Uttar Pradesh Police on their toes. Just days after nabbing the thief who fled with UP Minister Mohd Azam Khan's bovines, the police now have to deal with the theft of a legislator's eight buffaloes from his farmhouse in Bareilly district.

BJP legislator Dharam Pal Singh has made it clear that the police must act with same alacrity as it did in finding Azam Khan's cattle in January 2014.

Bareilly police, sources say, is now in midst of an "unprecedented crisis" trying to "strike a balance between the other crimes and the VIP theft".

"Our hands are already full and now this new 'musibat' (trouble)," a frustrated senior police official told IANS while referring to the theft of eight buffaloes of the BJP legislator who is also a former state minister.

Eight buffaloes were stolen by armed men from Singh's farmhouse at village Jhaunagla late Monday.

The legislator said that eight buffaloes were stolen after a gun was pointed at the caretaker of the farmhouse.

Singh referred to the speed with which policemen looked for Azam Khan's buffaloes and demanded in his case too, the police must display the same alacrity.

He alleged that the gang of cattle thieves had targeted him because of his relentless campaign against them and threatened to raise the matter in the state assembly if his cattle is not recovered soon.

Officials said that an FIR has been lodged and that teams from three police stations have been "put on the job" to recover the stolen buffaloes.

Senior police officials say cattle theft takes place as it is a source of income owing to the mushrooming slaughter houses and the demand for the meat.

The issue was propelled centre stage after the theft at Azam Khan's farmhouse.

(Mohit Dubey can be contacted at mohit.d@ians.in)