Palanpur (Guj), May 8 (PTI) Five dairy farmers from two villages of Gujarat’s Banaskantha district were booked for allegedly giving oxytocin injections to buffaloes to enhance milk production, police said on Sunday.
An FIR was lodged against five farmers from Khodla and Charotar villages in Palanpur taluka under sections of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and Indian Penal Code section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming animals), an official said.
“The farmers were booked after five bottles of suspected oxytocin were recovered from their possession in a raid conducted jointly by the police and officials of the veterinary and food and drugs departments,” inspector BR Patel of Palanpur taluka police station said.
“The police acted after two complainants said they visited cow sheds in the two villages and saw these farmers using the drug on milch buffaloes. The samples from the bottles have been sent for testing. Further action will take place after we get confirmation on whether it is oxytocin,” Patel added.
Sale of oxytocin injections are regulated under Schedule H of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, and requires prescription of medical practitioners. The drug is known to have adverse effects on cattle as well as those who drink its milk. PTI COR KA BNM BNM
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