A sub-inspector was suspended and eight constables were transferred for allegedly bringing a 'bokad' (male goat) to their police station and posing with it in Maharashtra's Latur district, an official said on Thursday.
The action followed a probe launched by the district police after a photo showing some of the cops with the animal went viral with the claim that they sacrificed it to bring down the crime rate in the area.
But the probe found that the matter had nothing to do with superstition. The nine cops from Udgir Rural police station faced action as their workplace is not meant to pose with an animal, particularly for uniformed personnel, police said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the animal was brought to the police station for a party after one of their colleagues purchased a new car.
Describing the cops' conduct as inappropriate, Fadnavis said orders were given for action against them.
