Hyderabad: After a day and night’s search across four villages of Kodair mandal, a police team has rescued the he-buffalo that was to take part in an unlawful ritual. The cops on Saturday found the three-year-old animal hidden by villagers in an abandoned house and saved it from the ordeal.
The he-buffalo, meant for sacrifice at Peddamma Panduga the same day, was taken to the Kodair police station and later handed over to the animal husbandry department. No case has been booked against the villagers and the men involved in hiding the animal were left off after a counselling session.
Peddamma Panduga was celebrated without the ritualistic “bali” (sacrifice) this year, breaking a 25-year-old tradition in Muttireddypally and surrounding villages in Nagarkurnool district. Kodair inspector Mohammad Shafi said, “The villagers, after being tipped off about the police search, hid the animal in an abandoned house. No one was ready to share the details. After a 24-hour search, the animal was found tied to a pillar inside an old house. The cops shifted it to the station first and later handed it over to the animal husbandry department. A police unit is camping at Muttireddypally village to ensure no animal is tortured during the festival.”
