Authorities demolished houses built on government land by 11 persons in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, following a police raid that uncovered beef and cows held for slaughter. The action took place in the tribal-dominated region as part of a crackdown on the illegal beef trade, news agency PTI reported citing officials on Saturday.
Superintendent of Police Rajat Saklecha stated that the raid followed a tip-off about cows being held captive for slaughter in the Bhainwahi area of Nainpur.
"Mandla police raided Bhainswahi of Nainpur police station and registered 11 FIRs against 11 accused under the Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act, 150 live cattle were freed from the custody of the accused. The administration's bulldozer ran on the illegally constructed houses of all the 11 accused," he said in a Hindi X post.
"A team was dispatched, and we found 150 cows tied in the backyards of the accused. Cow meat was recovered from the refrigerators in the homes of all 11 accused. We also found animal fat, cattle skin, and bones stuffed in a room," Saklecha told PTI.
A local government veterinarian stated that the seized meat was beef, as reported by PTI. Samples were also sent to Hyderabad for secondary DA analysis. The houses of the accused were demolished because they were constructed on government land, Saklecha said.
An FIR was registered on Friday night after the discovery of the cows and beef. One of the accused was arrested, and a search was ongoing for the remaining 10 persons. The 150 cows were sent to a cattle shelter.
The Bhainwahi area had reportedly become a hub for cow smuggling. In Madhya Pradesh, cow slaughter is punishable by a seven-year jail term.
Two of the accused had a criminal history, and investigations were underway to determine the background of the remaining persons, PTI reported citing police sources. All the accused are Muslims, the report said.
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