Bengaluru, July 29: An activist of Bajrang Dal was arrested on Thursday for allegedly smuggling cows near Vitla in Bantwal taluk. Interestingly, Shashi Kumar was held barely a few hours after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and the Bajrang Dal staged a protest against cow smuggling in the state. Another man, Abdul Harris, was also arrested.

According to Ravikanthe Gowda, Superintendent of Police of Dakshina Kannada, the police received a tip-off about illegal transportation of cows. At around 11 pm, cops stopped a mini-truck at the Kadambu junction near Vitla Padnur and found four cows and a calf. The animals were being transported to Kerala through Salethur.

Kumar, an agriculturist, was providing protection to Harris for transporting cows till Salethur, reported The Hindu. Notably, a Bajrang Dal activist tipped them off on the matter. The accused was transporting the animals with required documents. The police also said that Haris had been involved in a few criminal cases in the past.

However, Vishwa Hindu Parishad zonal secretary and former State president of Bajrang Dal Sharan Pumpwell said Kumar had no links with the Bajrang Dal or any other right-wing outfit. He alleged that the police had linked him with the Bajrang Dal only to defame the organisation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 29, 2018 08:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).