New Delhi - Police from the south Indian state of Karnataka are on the lookout for thieves that have decamped with a “booty” worth Rs 125,000 ($1,750 approx.) consisting of 25 to 40 truckloads of cow dung stolen from a facility belonging to the animal husbandry department a few days ago in the Birur region, reported Times Now News.

The police have initiated preliminary investigations into the matter after the animal husbandry department filed a “missing goods” report at the local police station. The stolen cow dung was later recovered by the police, the report said.

“The Joint Director with the Department of Animal Husbandry approached the Yagati police station with a complaint regarding the theft”, said a senior police official. The police have arrested a supervisor working at the animal husbandry department and are investigating further into the matter. They are looking for clues that may point to the involvement of more department officials. In India, the cow is a revered animal with religious and social significance in the Hindu-majority society of the country.

 For rural households, the “Holy Cow” is treated with reverence, as it provides milk for nourishment, helps in agrarian work, and cow dung is collected to be stored as manure for the crop as, well as that the dried cow dung cakes come handy as an energy source for burning during rainy days when the wood supply is limited.