The Padgha police in Thane district have arrested two men who were allegedly transporting 15,000 kg beef to Mumbai. The police are now investigating to identify the source and intended recipients of the meat.
Police tip-off
According to the police, the arrests were made on Tuesday morning after receiving information that beef would be transported to Mumbai through Padgha.
“We laid a trap at the Padgha toll post. Early on Tuesday, we intercepted a tempo and on searching it, found that it contained meat hidden under scrap material,” said inspector Bhaskar Pukale, Padgha police station.
The tempo was seized and the driver, Nadeem Sayyed (42), and cleaner, Abdul Latif Sheikh (44), were taken into custody. Samples of the meat were sent for testing to confirm if it was cow meat.
The police said that on Tuesday evening, laboratory tests confirmed that the meat was beef, after which Mr. Sayyed and Mr. Sheikh were placed under arrest. They were charged with mischief by killing or maiming cattle under the Indian Penal Code along with relevant sections of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 1995.
“Inquiries conducted with the accused so far indicate that they picked up the consignment of beef from Sangamner in the Ahmednagar district and were taking it to Govandi. The accused, too, are residents of Govandi. We are making further inquiries to find out who they picked it up from and who they were going to deliver it to,” Mr. Pukale said.
Probe in Sangamner
A team has been sent to Sangamner to verify the information gleaned from the accused, while another team is currently conducting inquiries in Govandi.
Mr. Sayyed and Mr. Sheikh, who were on Tuesday remanded in police custody for two days, were again produced in court on Thursday and were remanded in judicial custody, police officers said.
