Assam police seek court help to return ‘homeless’ camels to Rajasthan

GUWAHATI: While the state debates who is a genuine citizen, six ‘outsiders’ from Rajasthan have kept Assam Police on their toes for the past two weeks.
The six are camels from the western state, who were seized from a local market in Darrang district on August 11 — a day before Eid. They were allegedly brought there to be slaughtered. Now, five of the animals are at Dhula police station and one at Mangaldoi police station, waiting for a court to intervene so that they can be repatriated safely to their home state.
Samatullah, the camel trader from whom police seized the animals, had approached court seeking their custody. However, police moved court on Tuesday seeking to hand over the camels to the Animal Welfare Board of India.
“There was a claim by one individual but we moved court against it. The Animal Welfare Board can ensure the safety and welfare of the camels and take them back to Rajasthan with due process,” a police officer said.
On Wednesday, a local court in Darrang quashed a lower court’s order to hand over the camels to the traders. Representatives of the Animal Welfare Board of India, who also appeared before the court, prayed for the animals’ custody.
Even as the camels wait for legal aid, police are finding it increasingly difficult to care for their guests. “We are not experts at taking care of such animals. Moreover, Assam’s weather is not suitable for camels as it is very humid here. We are trying to relocate them to a suitable place or hand them over to the concerned authorities,” Amrit Bhuyan, SP (Darrang), told TOI.
Unwilling to have sick camels on their hands, the police have brought in veterinarians to ensure their well-being. The SP added that they were first focussing on the health and comfort of the camels and would begin to trace their route from Rajasthan to Assam once their repatriation had been sorted out.
“It’s a crime. The camels were illegally smuggled to Assam, probably for slaughter,” said Sujeet Choudhury, member of the Animal Welfare Board of India, adding, “We, in association with Assam Police, are trying our best to repatriate the animals to Rajasthan.
We hope the court will rule in our favour to take the animals to Rajasthan.” The Rajasthan government had passed the Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Bill in 2015 which banned the slaughter and transportation of the animal to other states.
(With inputs from agencies)
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