Ernakulam Court denies anticipatory bail in ‘tsunami’ meat case

Public prosecutor says sale of rotten meat can cause grievous hurt to people and is an offence.

The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court denied anticipatory bail to the person who was operating the shed from where 1,000 kg of ‘tsunami’ meat was seized last month.

The Health Department of the Kochi Corporation had seized rotten meat, mainly heart and liver portions, from a shed at Edakochi from where the meat was being shipped to other places.

Kochukoya, 48, of Palluruthy, who owned the shed, had filed for anticipatory bail after the police registered a case against him under IPC Section 328, for causing hurt by means of poison, and other sections.

The prosecution said the seized meat was examined and found harmful to public health. The court noted that the sale of rotten meat was a serious offence and the investigation involved public interest and concern.

“It will be really unsafe and improper to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioner,” Additional Sessions Judge P. Ubaid noted in the order. The court said the interrogation of the accused may be necessary for further investigation in the case and he could not be granted anticipatory bail.

“The source from where the petitioner obtained the said quantity of decayed meet will have to be detected, and the person who supplied such rotten meat to him, or the officers who helped him in the said illegal business, will have to be detected on investigation,” the court said.

The petitioner had argued before the court that his alleged offence would not attract Section 328 of the IPC.

Public prosecutor P.K. Sajeevan said the sale of rotten meat could cause grievous hurt to thousands of people and was thus a grave offence.