It wasn’t a stray animal, claims MC Commissioner

MOHALI: The cattle which caused the death of Sector 52 resident Rajinder and left his wife Suman Devi injured in an accident at the Chawla light point in Phase 7 here on Tuesday, was not a stray animal, but privately owned, said Mohali MC Commissioner Sandeep Hans while talking to Chandigarh Tribune here on Wednesday.

Family members wail over the death of Rajinder, who was killed after his bike crashed into a stray cattle at Phase 7, Mohali. Tribune photo: Vicky

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 18

The cattle which caused the death of Sector 52 resident Rajinder and left his wife Suman Devi injured in an accident at the Chawla light point in Phase 7 here on Tuesday, was not a stray animal, but privately owned, said Mohali MC Commissioner Sandeep Hans while talking to Chandigarh Tribune here on Wednesday.

“It wasn’t a stray animal. On Wednesday, I wrote to the Mohali SSP to take action against the cattle owner after identifying him as his animal has claimed a life here,” said Hans.

Asked for the basis of his claim, Hans said the herd of cows was having calves. “Our team has caught the calf of the animal, which had come in front of motorcycle of the couple. Now, the animals are not seen in the town, which means they are back with their owners,” said Hans.

Family members of the deceased, Rajinder, have lost their main earning hand in the accident. They said they would sue the Municipal Corporation in this regard. “It is the duty of the MC to catch animals roaming on roads, which often cause accidents. Due to the failure of MC officials to perform their duty, the family has lost its main earning hand,” said Kailash, son-in-law of the victim.

He said Rajinder is survived by his wife, who also sustained injuries on the head and limbs in the accident, and five children — four daughters and a seven-year-old son.

“My mother-in-law (Suman) is working as a housekeeper in a private concern. Now, she has the responsibility of looking after three unmarried daughters and a son. My father-in-law Rajinder was the main earning hand of the family,” said Kailash.

Owners yet to shift cattle out of MC limits

As per the Mohali MC record, the rural belt falling in the MC limits has a total of 166 cattle owners. Despite the MC’s directions regarding shifting their livestock to some other place outside the MC limits, the owners are yet to move their cattle from their villages. Most of these cattle owners live in Sohana, Mataur and Kumbhra, said Hans. He said at the local gaushala, around 800 cattle had been kept. The Commissioner claimed that there were few stray animals in the town now.