Pune police arrest two for carrying 300 kg beef in van

Pune: The Pune police arrested two persons for allegedly carrying 300 kg of beef on Wednesday morning. They were transporting beef from Srigonda to Pune. According to the sources, members of Gorakshak Samiti — a cow vigilante group in Pune — received information that the Toyota Innova car was transporting beef from Srigonda town in Ahmednagar district to Pune. They lodged a complaint at Hadapsar Police station.

Umakant Pune, police sub-inspector, Hadapsar said, “We received a tip-off from Shivshankar Swami, a member of cow vigilante group, that a Innova car was transporting beef from Srigonda to the Camp area in Pune.”

He added, “A team of four police officers from Hadapsar police station put barricades on the road in front of Akashwani Centre in Hadapsar. We stopped the vehicle, which was carrying beef. When we asked them, what they were carrying, first they lied but later admitted that they were transporting 300 kg of beef. They were going to sell in Pune Camp area.”He added, “We asked a veterinary doctor to rush to the spot. He said that the meat which was seized looks like beef. We have taken the sample and it will be sent to the laboratory as per the legal procedure. The cost of 300 kg of beef is more than Rs 30,000.”

The police has arrested Abid Gulam Mia Qureshi, 58, and Atu Nana Dutare, 27, both residents of Srigonda. The duo has been arrested under the relevant sections of Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act (Amendment) 1995.

Shivshankar Swami who lodged the complaint said, “We got information that a car is headed to sell beef in Camp area in Pune. Hence, we informed police and lodged an official complaint.” The Hadapsar police had seized 1,000 kgs of beef worth `65,000 in March this year.