Veaux nouveaux-nés dépecés vivants en Indes (cuir)

[Animal 0]

Newborn calves skinned alive of leather
By: Nishant A Bhuse

September 3, 2005


Mahim creek has turned into a graveyard for newborn calves. Locals say an organised syndicate of butchers and leather traders have been skinning live calves in the area for some time now.

Unable to bear the cries of the animals, one local, Aslam Sheikh, a slum dweller, informed the NGO, In Defense of Animals, (IDA) about the cruelty. IDA activists registered a complaint with the Sahu Nagar police station on Thursday.

Heart rending sight

Speaking to Mid Day, Fizzah Shah, president, IDA revealed, “When we visited the creek, it was heart-rending to see the bodies of the newborn calves, their legs tied up with strings and wires, stripped of skin.” The area has witnessed a rise in incidents of diseases like dengue, malaria, and various respiratory problems.

Sold to leather traders

“Cattle owners based in Goregaon, Jogeshwari and Malad sell these calves to leather traders for Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000. Butchers then slits the animals’ throats and dumps the half-dead calves near the Mahim creek from the train.”

Modus operandi

Residents say that the live calves are stuffed into gunny bags and thrown out of the trains in the early morning hours.

As soon as the train passes, some men from Dharavi area take the calves into the tall grass and peel their skin, leaving the animals in pain.

“The calves cry out in pain but no one comes to their rescue as these men are armed and we fear for our lives,” says Aslam. The skin is peeled off within an hour of the slaughtering, as the animal’s blood has to be warm for the stripping.

No arrests

Police sub-inspector S Vichare and his team from Sahu Nagar police station, along with IDA officers have been waiting for the skin-strippers but the information of the raid has reportedly leaked out, and the men have kept away.

A BMC official from G North Ward, Dadar stated that, they have not received any complaints from any individual or NGO in this regard.

Western Railway PRO Shailendra Kumar told Mid Day, “This is shocking! I am not aware of the transport of cattle on local trains. I have briefed the RPF to coordinate with the GRP and the city police, to investigate the matter.”


http://web.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/september/117807.htm