West Berbice farmer wants cops to solve case of the missing cows

Indira Singhroy told Stabroek News that a rice farmer had alleged that the animals had destroyed 20 acres of his rice field. The animals were kept in a pasture on the left bank of the Abary Creek.

Singhroy subsequently visited the field with an appraiser, who observed that it was intact and took pictures to prove it. The matter regarding the damage to the rice field has since been dropped.

The woman was told that the farmer along with his workers was taking the cows to be impounded on February 18. One of the animals butted a worker and Singhroy was told that the cows escaped during the commotion. She received a call that evening from an employee who witnessed when the cows were being taken away.

It was the following morning when she visited the station to get the cows that Singhroy learnt that they never got there. The officers at the station then told her she was responsible for the cow butting the man, which resulted in him being hospitalised. The police then told her they would lock her up and after she told her husband to get a lawyer they placed her on self-bail. She also had to sign a form that she was not beaten.

Singhroy returned to the station on February 20, after hearing that five more cows were picked up from her pasture and taken there.  After paying $15,500, she collected the five cows and returned them to the creek. She said the cows had marks as though they were badly beaten and bruised. She is waiting on the police to conduct a full investigation but they keep telling her that “when they need me they would call; I’m still waiting on the call. Up to now, I can’t get any assistance from the police to locate the cows.”

Three weeks later she called to speak to the officer-in-charge, who said she was busy and could not deal with the matter then. “They are always busy when I call. I tried calling the ‘C’ Division police headquarters but the number kept ringing out.”

The woman met with Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud almost two weeks ago and he promised to send a letter to Commissioner of Police Henry Greene. “I am confused right now. I want to know who is responsible for the cows and what steps I must take.”

She is rearing the animals together with her brother, Roy Hookumchand who resides in the US. After hearing about the problems with the cows, he arrived in the country to deal with it and has had to extend his stay after he was not getting any satisfaction.