The police were informed about a truck in which 23 cows were being transported "illegally", following which they reached the spot. The truck was headed towards Hyderabad from Jangaon.
"We received the information that cows were being illegally transported. As the driver could not produce any valid documents, we apprehended him and registered a case against him and his assistant under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act," Bibinagar sub-inspector D Suresh Kumar said.
A police official said "the driver alleged that some youths claiming to be cow vigilantes slapped him before informing the police about the truck". However, he said the police didn't believe his version.