At least six more animals died overnight at a cow shelter in Hasanpur area of Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district, taking the count to over 60 on Friday.
The deaths prompted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday evening to order a probe and direct Animal Husbandry Minister Dharam Pal Singh to reach Amroha.
Mr Singh along with senior officials of Animal Husbandry department, veterinary experts from Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), and senior district officials were present at the spot on Friday.
District officials on Thursday had said that the cows at the shelter fell ill in the evening after eating fodder.
Around 55 cows had died by Thursday night and the count reached over 60 by Friday morning. More than 180 cows were kept at the shelter home, they said.
"A three member committee including senior officials of animal husbandry department and Moradabad region have been tasked to investigate the matter as per the direction of Chief Minister. The accused behind the incident will not be spared," informed Mr Singh.
According to Amroha District Magistrate BK Tripathi, the management at the cow shelter has procured fodder from a person identified as Tahir.
"An FIR has been lodged against Tahir and efforts are being made to arrest him," the DM said. "The village development officer, who is in charge of the cow shelter, has been suspended," he added.
Superintendent of Police of Amroha Aditya Langeh said that four teams have been formed to arrest the accused in the case. Police have detained some people for questioning but have not confirmed any arrest yet.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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