Kolkata: Morning walkers and local residents intercepted a recklessly driven truck on Keshav Chandra Sen Street in north Kolkata early on Tuesday and found 22 cattle crammed inside the vehicle.The incident took place around 4 am near Bidhan Sarani, in front of the Bank of Baroda branch.A 53-year-old local resident, who later lodged a police complaint, alleged that the truck was speeding through the narrow road, endangering pedestrians.Residents stopped the truck and damaged it to prevent the driver from fleeing. However, the driver and his helper managed to escape. Two others, who were allegedly escorting the truck on a scooter, abandoned the two-wheeler and fled.Locals detained two suspected handlers associated with the truck, which was subsequently taken to Jorasanko police station.Police found 22 stray cattle, including cows and oxen, crammed into the cargo compartment without adequate space or ventilation. The occupants allegedly had no valid documents for transporting the animals.Police suspect the cattle had been picked up from city streets and were being illegally transported to a slaughterhouse.Jorasanko police registered a case, seized the truck and the abandoned scooter, and rescued the cattle. A search is underway for the driver, helper and the two scooter-borne suspects.
