Kundapur, Jun 5: Three persons including the chief of a Math in Kollur were assaulted by a group of 40 while they were transporting cattle from one Goshala to another in a lorry on the night of June 4, Wednesday at Koteshwar.
Michael (27) lorry driver from Jadkal, and his companions Joseph (64) from Mudur, and Maithri Kashyappa Swamiji (50), chief of a religious centre in Kollur, were assaulted by the group. They were admtted to Chinmayee Hospital in Kundapur, and among them Michael is said to have sustained serious injuries.
Sources said that 10 cows and two calves were being transported in an Eicher lorry from Goshala of Kollur to the Goshala at Tapovarishtrashrama in Palakkad, Kerala. Michael, Joseph and Kashyappa Swamiji possessed official documents from Kollur police, Kollur gram panchayat and letterhead from Kollur religious centre granting permission to transport the cattle.
While they were transporting the cattle from Kollur to Palakkad, a group of youth who received information about this waylaid the lorry at Koteshwar and assaulted the three.
First, two persons came by bike and questioned the lorry driver, who told them that he possessed valid documents. Two more persons came by bike, who called some others on phone and told them to come to the spot. This way, about 40 persons gathered at the spot and began assaulting the three, without even bothering to see the documents. As a consequence, Michael and Joseph sustained serious injuries, while the swamiji was injured on hands and face.
The Kundapur police are on the hunt for the accused who assaulted the three. Unconfirmed sources said that the police have already taken some persons for questioning.
The case is being investigated under the direction of DySP C.B. Patil, circle inspector Diwakar P M and team.
