Maharashtra: Meat seized in Malegaon was beef, confirms report

The report on the first suspected beef seizure in Maharashtra has revealed that the 150kg meat recovered from Malegaon was of a bullock.

The report on the first suspected beef seizure in Maharashtra has revealed that the 150kg meat recovered from Malegaon was of a bullock.

The Malegaon police, on Saturday, received the report from the Bombay Veterinary Hospital in Parel, which stated that the sample of the meat was from a bullock. “We will now add the report to the charge sheet as evidence in the court,” said senior inspector MM Khan.

The report means this will be the first time that section 5 of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act will be invoked in the state after the ban on beef in March. This is also the first report that has come in favour of the prosecution in an alleged beef seizure case.

During the panchnama of the case, the panch had told police that the meat was from a bullock, according to which the relevant sections were added. The Malegaon police received the report - the most crucial evidence in the case - after three months.

In the first case of arrest for selling beef after the ban came into effect, on March 26, the police apprehended three people in the communally sensitive Malegaon.

There are four accused in the case, who were initially remanded in police custody by a local court in Nashik, but were later granted bail.

The accused have been arrested under section 5 (prevention on slaughter and possession of flesh of bulls, bullocks) with section 9 (imprisonment for a term that may extend to five years or a fine of Rs 10,000 or both) of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act.