Police seize 700kg ‘beef’ at Govandi

Mumbai: Acting on a tip-off, Shivaji Nagar police on Tuesday seized around 700kg suspected beef from a tempo at Shivaji Nagar, Govandi. Samples have been sent for examination to Kalina-based forensic science laboratory to ascertain if the meat falls under any of the banned variety (cow, bull and bullock). The seized stock was handed over to municipal authorities for disposal. The police has detained two persons and the temp, and further action will depend upon forensic findings.

Shivaji Nagar police seized the tempo carrying 700kg suspected beef, which was being ferried to Shivaji Nagar from Panvel, Raigad, to be sold to various clients, mostly hotels. According to the police, the incident occurred at 7am on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, Shivaji Nagar police kept a watch and carried out a search at Kadri meat shop, road number 9, Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, and seized the meat.

DCP Shahaji Umap said, “Although we seized the suspected beef and the tempo MH04.GC.196 and detained two persons i.e. driver Mahmood Shaikh (25) and cleaner Zakir Pathan (23), we have sent the samples to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) for examination. We have sent the suspected beef to the municipal authorities for disposal as storing meat in such huge quantities is not possible in the police station. Until the FSL report is out, we cannot arrest anybody.”

The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015, prohibits the slaughter/ sale/possession of the flesh of cow, bull or bullock, whether they were slaughtered in the state or outside. Buffalo meat is not banned. Violators of the law can be punished with a prison term of up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both. If forensic reports confirm that the meat is beef, the police will book the accused under the new Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amend-ment) Act, 2015, which makes the sale and transport of beef illegal.

Recently on June 29, the Pune police arrested two persons from Hadapsar and recovered 300kg beef from their car. The accused were carrying it from Srigonda, a block in Ahmednagar district, to Pune via Hadapsar, when members of Gorakshak Samiti, a cow vigilante group, got the information about the beef.