Chikkamagaluru: Not priceless valuables from age-old temples but a bizarre case of the theft of as many as 25-40 truckloads of cow dung worth Rs 1.25 lakh from the Animal Husbandry Department is being investigated by the police department in Birur district of Karnataka.

It is only after officials in the department registered an official complaint with the Birur police that the case came into light. As many as 25 to 40 tractor loads of cow dung has gone missing a few days ago, according to the complaint. Cow dung is used basically for agricultural and horticultural activities and is used extensively by farmers as a fertiliser for farming activities.

Sathyarnaya Swamy, the Circle Inspector (CPI), Birur, told The Times of India that the Joint Director with the Department of Animal Husbandry had approached the Yagati police station with a complaint regarding the theft. According to the complaint, the cow dung was stored at the Basur Amritmahal Kaval under Yagati police station limits from where it has now been shifted to a private land in the locality, the owner which has also been named in the First Information Report (FIR).

A supervisor with the department of animal husbandry has been arrested by the Birur police for further investigation in the matter. The police probes the involvement of several officials with the department in this matter and an official familiar with the matter has already said that the stolen cow dung will be returned to the concerned department soon.