At least 17 cows were found suffocated to death when a petrol tanker in which they were being smuggled to slaughter house overturned while trying the evade police on NH 24 in Fatehgarh area here.
As many as 22 cows were stuffed inside the tanker by the smugglers, who had got the vehicle wielded from outside to hide the cattle, Superintendent of Police Brijesh Srivastava said.
He said that the tanker tried to speed past a police patrol van but it overturned near Dwarikesh mill.
By the time the locals could cut through the tank, 17 cattle died due to suffocation, Srivastava said adding that the driver and smuggler managed to escape.
Cow slaughter is illegal in Uttar Pradesh.
