Patna, Aug. 5: The Animal Welfare Board of India has sought action against Upendra Prasad, the Sherghati sub-divisional police officer in Gaya, for allegedly being uncooperative with officials in curbing incidents of animal cruelty.

The animal welfare board works under the Union ministry of environment and forests. A host of officials associated with the animal welfare board held a news meet in Patna today.

Around 135 stray cattle from Gamharia and Barachatti areas had been handed over to the Sherghati police for keeping them in government-run cowsheds ( gaushala), the officials claimed. They alleged that the Sherghati sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Upendra, did not send the cattle - 88 cows and 47 calves - to the government-run gaushala but to a roadside khatal.

The officials, including Sudarshan Kaushik, Nitu Gupta and Simmi Ghai, alleged that the SDPO had close links with the cattle smugglers.

Upendra denied the allegations levelled at him and said he was ready to face any probe by an investigating agency.

"The Animal Welfare Board of India officials were trying to intimidate the cattle owners on the pretext of selling the cattle to smugglers," he told The Telegraph over phone. "I am being made a scapegoat for taking tough action against the animal welfare board officials."

The office-bearers have lodged a complaint against Upendra in a Gaya court accusing him of shielding cattle smugglers and not interested in checking cruelty against animals under his jurisdiction.

"We have been working in Bihar for the past six months but didn't face any sort of problem in our work, except in Gaya," Kaushik said on being asked if the officers had faced such a situation earlier in Bihar.

In Kishanganj alone, the animal officers said they have lodged over 30 cases against cattle smugglers with the help of the local police. The animal welfare board officers claimed the Gaya incident occurred in June.