30 kg suspected beef seized in Jharkhand, 2 held

The police seized more than 30 kg of meat, suspected to be beef, while it was being transported by an auto rickshaw to a hotel in Chandwa, Latehar district on Monday.

Latehar superintendent of police Prashant Anand said, “A person carrying prohibited item has been arrested and the consignment weighing around 30 kg has been seized. A hotel owner where the consignment was headed has also been booked.”

The police team, acting on a tip off, also arrested the driver of the three-wheeler carrying the consignment. Based on his confession, the police booked the owner of the hotel where the consignment was to be allegedly delivered, police officials said.

The police later sealed the hotel located on the main road of the Chandwa.

Soon after the seizure, the police called a local veterinarian from the government animal hospital and sent the sample for testing. The arrested auto-driver was identified as Rabul, a resident of Malhan under the Chandwa police station, while the hotel owner was identified as Md Akhtar, who hails from Chandwa town.

During interrogation, police said Rabul confessed that he had gone to Lohardaga to drop passengers. “He said that when he was returning, Md Akhtar asked him to take this consignment and drop it at his hotel in Chandwa...” said the police.

“A sample of the seized meat has been sent for examination and till the final report arrives, the hotel has been sealed,” said SP Anand. Sources said that cows were not slaughtered in Chandwa.

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