Gurugram: There was an uneasy calm in Haryana’s Nuh district on Bakra-Eid Saturday, a day after the police raided a makeshift meat shop near a mosque after a complaint by two members of Gau Raksha Dal who had received a “tip-off”, and booked a father-son duo on the suspicion that they were selling beef, banned in the BJP-ruled state.
Police said they seized 41 kg meat from the spot near a mosque in Pataudi Chowk area of Tauru locality, and booked Maamdeen and his son Nadeem, both residents of Shikarpur. The two fled the scene as police arrived, and remain absconding.
Rakesh Kumar, Sub Inspector at Tauru City Police Station, said that a case has been filed against them based on the Gau Raksha Dal’s complaint. “Samples from the recovered meat have been sent for lab analysis, and further investigation is underway. We are keeping a close watch to maintain peace in the area,” he said.
The Muslim-dominated district had witnessed communal violence in December 2023.
What the complaint said
Sunny, a member of Gau Raksha Dal and resident of Tauru’s Ward No. 8, and his companion Monu lodged a complaint with the police on the basis of a “tip-off” they had allegedly received.
According to the complaint, the father-son duo allegedly sold beef. They would transport cow meat on their motorcycle and sell it near a hotel close to the mosque, it claimed, adding that they brought the meat to their shop Friday as well, unloaded it, and were in the process of selling, when they spotted the complainants.
After this, they abandoned the meat, scales, weights, and other tools, and fled on their motorbike, the complaint said.
Police went to the scene and recovered approximately 41 kilograms of suspected “beef” packed in a plastic sack, along with a knife, scales, and other equipment. While it remains unclear whether the seized meat is indeed beef or meat of any other animal, the Gau Raksha Dal members claim they have concrete information confirming it as cow meat.
The seized meat has been sent to a laboratory for testing, and further action will depend on the lab report, police said. A large crowd of locals gathered at the site, but the mob was dispersed and the situation is under control, according to police.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Haryana banned cow slaughter through the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015. It provides for rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to 10 years for killing the animal.
In his complaint, Sunny alleged the accused duo used to regularly supply beef to a hotel near Pataudi Chowk. Based on this, the Tauru City Police Station registered a case against Maamdeen and Nadeem under Sections 13(1), 13(3), and 17 of the act.
Section 13(1) deals with the offence of cow slaughter and selling beef. It entails rigorous imprisonment not less than three years, which may extend to 10 years, and a fine not less than Rs 30,000, which may extend to Rs 1,00,000. Section 13(3) also deals with punishment for such offences.
Section 17 outlines the legal procedure for taking cognisance of offences under the Act.
The incident has sparked outrage among residents, especially given its timing—the occasion of Bakra-Eid—and raised concerns about potential tension in the area. However, police vigilance ensured the situation remained under control.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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Why was this hotel not booked by the police? The hotel is just as guilty of purchasing cow meat.
The Nuh district has become a focal point of all kinds of criminal activities. Be it financial frauds or violent crime, it tops the charts in Haryana.
Hope the father-son duo are awarded the maximum punishment of 10 years rigorous imprisonment in this case.
Firstly was it cow’s meat.?Even if it was why was it wasted in such a Poor country where people go hungry. Buff is called beef in India