A major incident has caused panic in Uttar Pradesh’s capital, Lucknow, after around 170 sheep died under mysterious circumstances near the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal, according to a report by PTI.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the matter, ordered a detailed investigation, and announced financial assistance of Rs 10,000 for each sheep that died, the UP government said in a statement.

NGO raises alarm, calls incident ‘very serious’ 

In a complaint filed at the Madiaon police station, Charu Khare, founder of Aasra The Helping Hands Trust (NGO), said that around 170 sheep suddenly died in areas around the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal, just days after an event was held there.

“Prima facie, it is not clear whether these sheep died after consuming waste material or some unknown person had allegedly given poison to them,” Khare told PTI.

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She demanded a thorough investigation and said post-mortem examinations of the dead sheep must be conducted to find out the exact reason behind the deaths.

“If any laxity is found or there is a confirmation of poison being given, then strict action should be taken against the accused. Our organisation will extend all possible help in the probe,” PTI reported Khare as saying. 

She described the incident as “very serious” and “sensitive”, adding that the possibility of animal cruelty or negligence cannot be ruled out.

Post-mortem samples sent for examination, say police

Madiaon SHO Shivanand Mishra told the news agency that samples of the dead sheep have been sent for post-mortem examination.

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The owner of the sheep alleged that the animals had wandered into a parking area created in Dubagga for the inauguration ceremony of the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal. He claimed that leftover food from the event had been dumped there after the programme.

The sheep allegedly consumed the stale and rotten food lying in the parking area. Soon after, their health worsened rapidly, and one by one, the animals collapsed and died.