MP: Bhopal municipal body seals slaughterhouse after report confirms seized meat as banned; 2 held

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 9 (ANI): The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sealed a slaughterhouse in the city after laboratory reports confirmed that a large consignment of meat seized from a truck was prohibited.
The action followed the seizure of around 25 tonnes of meat from a truck in the Jahangirabad area of Bhopal earlier this month. Police have arrested two accused in connection with the case.
According to officials, on the night of December 17, Hindu right-wing organisations intercepted a truck allegedly transporting meat from Bhopal to Mumbai. The organisations claimed the consignment contained banned meat. Acting on the complaint, police seized the meat and sent samples for laboratory testing. After the report confirmed the presence of the prohibited meat, the BMC sealed the slaughterhouse from where it was allegedly sourced.

Bhopal Mayor Malti Rai told ANI, "The information received indicates that the slaughterhouse samples were found to be incorrect. When the slaughterhouse samples were found to be incorrect, action was taken against it...Action is being taken against the officer concerned, or a private vendor, or anyone else, action is being taken against those involved...The slaughterhouse has been sealed. The administration is taking all necessary and appropriate actions."
Meanwhile, the Congress raised serious allegations, claiming that the illegal trade was being run with the alleged nexus of municipal officials and BJP leaders.
"The slaughterhouse was leased out by the municipal corporation and it gave free hand to the operator to sell the meat of any animal. A truck was caught on December 17, a report was sent for testing and now the slaughterhouse is sealed so late. I assert with certainty that a few officers of the municipal corporation and a few people from the BJP are involved in this business. Everyone in Bhopal knows this; even the police station personnel are aware that cows are being slaughtered there," said Amit Sharma, Congress Spokesperson.
He further slammed the state government, saying that on one hand, slogans were raised in the name of Hindus, while on the other, tonnes of animals were being slaughtered in Bhopal. This exposes their true character and intentions and the State government is responsible for this. A few officials of the BMC and some BJP are involved in this business, he alleged.
Yesterday, a group of Bajrang Dal workers staged a protest outside the office of Bhopal Commissioner of Police (CP), demanding strict action against the accused.
"Bajrang Dal workers are protesting here and they are saying that meat was confiscated from a slaughter house. Nonetheless, some accused were arrested and have been sent to jail. The slaughterhouse has also been sealed by the municipal corporation," said Bittu Sharma, ACP. (ANI)