Tension erupted at the Bengaluru City Railway Station when a consignment of meat, weighing approximately three tonnes and packed in around 150 cartons, arrived from Jaipur by train on Friday night, according to railway sources. Puneeth Kerehalli, a cow vigilante previously jailed on murder charges, claimed the shipment contained dog meat. However, Abdul Razzaq, the meat dealer who had ordered the consignment, dismissed these allegations, stating the meat was legally procured sheep meat.
"We have legal documents to prove it. One can see the tail of the animal that was slaughtered. It's sheep and not dog," Razzaq said, adding that Kerehalli was trying to make money by making false accusations, as reported by PTI.
The situation drew a large crowd. In response to the protests, BBMP health officials and police arrived at the scene. The Cottonpet Police confiscated the meat, and BBMP health officials collected samples for testing. The seized meat was placed in cold storage with results expected in 14 days.
Razzaq emphasized his long-standing, legal business operations, stating to The New Indian Express, "I have been in this business for 12 years, and everything is legal. We have an Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license, a trade license, and a BBMP license. The meat is kept in ice boxes and tested for quality."
He assured that all accusations were baseless and announced plans to explain the situation in detail at a press conference.
