A police constable was seriously injured on Tuesday, during an attempt to stop a vehicle from transporting cattle illegally near Kundapur Rural police station in Udupi district.

Prashanth Naganna injured his knee after he was hit by a broken barricade. He was rushed to a private hospital in Kundapur for treatment.

After receiving information about illegal cattle trafficking in Gulvady-Basrur area in Kundapur taluk, Kundapur police personnel chased the vehicle and informed their counterparts to set up barricades in front of the station to block the vehicle. The vehicle broke through the barricade set up at Kundapur rural police station.  Prashanth was injured when the broken barricade hit him, according to a report in the Times of India.

Police managed to track down the vehicle near Gulvadi Bridge but the accused managed to escape. In the pickup vehicle, there were 25 cattle, 11 of which were dead, according to a report by Daijiworld.

A case was registered at Kundapur Rural police station. 

Sunil Kumar, MLA of Karkala, told TOI, “Such illegal cattle trafficking is happening in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi every now and then. The district administration and government are quiet about it and such incidents are increasing. The government should take action against these people.“ 

Earlier this year in July, Kundapur police rescued 18 buffaloes when they intercepted a vehicle illegally transporting the animals near Gangolli.