14 cows found dead along river banks in Baitadi

Dhangadhi: After 14 cows were found dead along a river's banks in Baitadi, local officials and police officials have reached

the spot to investigate the incident. Exact details are still unclear, but a local official said two individuals who got paid by the local government to manage the cows might be responsible the deaths.

One of them was arrested in the evening and he's being interrogated, according to the Police. Ward Chairperson Jagi Saund informed that the cows were found dead along the banks of Bherikhola in Siga Community Forest Area of Purchaudi Municipality Ward No. 6 of the district. According to him, the cows appear to have been pushed off a slope below which the river is located in Patan Municipality.

Suresh Parki and Laxman Parki of Kuwakot of Purchaudi Municipality allegedly took 34 cows under an agreement with the municipality. Spokesperson of Patan Municipality Lok Bahadur Bhandari informed that the municipality had allegedly given them Rs 2,000 per cow. Cow slaughter is a criminal offense as per Nepal's law and offenders could face jail sentence of up to 12 years. Even hurting a cow is considered a criminal offense. However, in recent months,

there have been a spate of incidents of mass cow slaughters in which cows were pushed off steep slopes.