Meat worth Rs 4.34 crore seized from three trucks in Jalna on suspicion of being beef has been confirmed as buffalo meat by a laboratory. The consignment of 83,988 kg frozen meat and trucks were released after verification
The meat was seized on April 1 on a tip off from right-wing activists and a case was registered at Chandanzira Police Station. Representational pic
Meat worth Rs 4.34 crore seized from three trucks in Jalna on suspicion of being beef has been confirmed as buffalo meat by a laboratory in Chhatrapati Maharashtra's Sambhajinagar, a police officer said on Friday.
Following the laboratory analysis, the consignment, comprising 83,988 kilograms of frozen meat, was released along with the three trucks, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Anant Kulkarni said.
“The meat was seized on April 1 following a tip-off from right-wing activists. A case was registered at Chandanzira police station under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act. Three persons, all residents of Varanasi, were held at the time,” another officer said.
The accused have been identified as Shambuprasad Prajapati, Sattyaprakash Gupta, and Virenda Gupta.
According to police, the trucks were transporting the meat from Parbhani to Mumbai for export. Many packets in the consignment had markings in Arabic, suggesting they were likely destined for Arab nations.
“We requested an early report from the laboratory to ensure the meat did not deteriorate. The transporter had valid documents. After verification, the containers were released within 24 hours of receiving the report,” SDPO Kulkarni added.
Earlier, on April 1, right-wing activists had intercepted the three container trucks at a toll naka in Jalna, alleging they were carrying beef. The drivers were detained and meat samples were sent to the laboratory for testing.
Inspector Balasaheb Pawar of Chandanjhira police station said the seized containers were transporting around 120 tonnes of meat, reportedly meant for export. Packets bore the name of LS Frozen Foods, Visakhapatnam, with Arabic labelling. The drivers were allegedly manhandled by activists.
“We will take appropriate action after receiving the lab report,” Pawar had said at the time.
Following the confirmation that the meat was buffalo, police released the consignment and trucks. Further action in the case will be taken as required, the officials said.
Assam CM targets opposition candidate’s mother over social media posts showing beef consumption
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday criticised the mother of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Kunki Chowdhury over social media posts showing beef consumption, claiming they hurt the sentiments of Sanatani people.
Speaking during his campaign at Khowang, Sarma alleged that Chowdhury’s mother, Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, had shared multiple posts and photos related to beef on Instagram. “We do not have a problem with her being from Sikkim, but she has shared many photos of eating beef. She is challenging the Sanatani people,” the CM said, showing one such photo on his mobile.
The remarks triggered a strong response from the AJP. Party president Lurinjyoti Gogoi accused Sarma of resorting to “Hindu-Muslim rhetoric” to deflect from questions raised by the party.
Kunki Chowdhury, 27, is contesting her first election from the Guwahati Central constituency. She is among the youngest candidates in the fray and is pitted against senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Gupta.
Police and election authorities have not commented on the allegations, and there is no report of any legal action related to the social media posts so far.
(With PTI inputs)
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