Police free cow thief; villagers irked

KALASAPAKKAM: Residents of Melkilambadi village in Kalasapakkam taluk in Tiruvannamalai district were peeved that a cow thief, who was caught red handed, was let off by the police as they could not converse in Hindi with the suspect. Residents said that cow thieves usually come in the guise of beggars. On Wednesday locals spotted a mini-van offloading a man, who looked like a beggar and left the spot. That night a farmer saw the same man untethering a cow. When questioned about his act, the stranger suddenly attacked the farmer with an iron rod. However, residents caught the thief and thrashed him. On information, Kalasapakkam police conducted inquiries with the suspect, who replied in Hindi. As the police could not reportedly understand Hindi, they let the man go claiming that he was mentally unsound.