Hassan (Karnataka) ,  The Hassan police in Karnataka on Monday arrested 10 persons in connection with the death of 18 calves while they were being illegally transported.

More than 50 calves were stuffed inside a small goods vehicle. The miscreants had tied the legs and mouths of calves and stacked them one on another.

The vehicle transporting calves turned turtle after the driver lost control and hit a pole. 18 calves died on the spot. The driver fled after the incident which took place on August 18.

The villagers of Dyavappanahalli in Belur taluk where the incident took place, tended to the injured calves and untied their legs and mouths.

A tense situation prevailed in the village for some time and police had to intervene to pacify the villagers.

Local Janata Dal (S) MLA K.S. Lingesh, who had rushed to the spot, also pacified the villagers. The incident drew angry reactions from all over the state.

The police, which had registered the case in this regard, have now arrested 10 persons. The arrested have been identified as Nurulla, Saleem, Sabir, Ahmad, Adbul Mubarak, Purushottam, Sultan, Arif, Irfan and Jeevan.

On July 28, 38 monkeys were reported dead in Hassan district. The miscreants had stuffed the monkeys in gunny bags and thrown them by the roadside. The incident had come to light when local youth opened the bags. The Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu notice of the incident and is monitoring the investigation.