Suspected beef supplier booked; one held, 250kg beef, four animals seized in Sambhajinagar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: City police on Monday registered a fresh case against an alleged beef supplier and six others after raiding an illegal slaughter facility in the Sillikhana area, arresting one person and seizing four live bovines and around 250kg of suspected beef worth Rs 1.6 lakh.Police commissioner Pravin Pawar said the action was part of the city police's sustained crackdown on organised illegal activities. "We are taking strict action against those involved in such offences and will ensure that all accused are traced and brought to justice,” he said.The arrested accused has been identified as Shafiq Sharif Qureshi, while the beef supplier and six others have been booked and are absconding.

This is the fourth FIR in which the supplier has been named as an accused. Earlier, he was booked in a case related to illegal hoarding of bovines for slaughter and beef. Police have also invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against him in two separate public distribution system (PDS) grain diversion cases.According to police, a Kranti Chowk police team acted on a tip-off received around 8am that bovines had been illegally confined for slaughter inside a shed in Sillikhana.

During the raid, officers allegedly found a group of men slaughtering cattle. Shafiq was apprehended on the spot, while the remaining accused fled.The FIR states that police rescued four live bovines allegedly kept in cramped conditions for slaughter and recovered around 250kg of suspected beef from the premises. The total value of the seized livestock and meat was estimated at Rs 1.6 lakh.During interrogation, Shafiq allegedly told investigators that the meat was supplied to the supplier and others, who allegedly distributed it to hotels, marriage halls and illegal meat outlets across the city. He further claimed that the slaughter was carried out on their behalf after animals procured from outside the city.A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, and further investigation is underway.