133 held, over one tonne of suspected beef seized in statewide Assam crackdown
The police reportedly raided 112 hotels for violation of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act 2021;
A suspect in Jalukbari police custody on Tuesday for transporting suspected beef in a truck. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, July 1: At least 133 people were apprehended for their role in alleged violation of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act 2021 and over one tonne of suspected beef were seized across the state, on Tuesday.
According to Inspector General Police (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh, a suo-motu drive was initiated across the state to check reported incidents of illegal cattle slaughter and selling of beef in restaurants unauthorisedly.
Consumption of beef is not illegal in Assam, but the Assam Cattle Preservation Act bans cattle slaughter and sale of beef in areas where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs are in majority and in areas within a five-km radius of a temple or satra (Vaishnavite monastery).
"The main intention of the drive is to stop violation of the Act. We raided hotels and restaurants, registered dozens of cases at many police stations across the state and picked up scores of people," Singh said.
He said that police have so far apprehended 133 people after raiding 112 hotels and seized more than one tonne of suspected beef meat from across the state.
“The operation is still going on, and the exact figure will be known later. The drive will continue in the coming days,” he added.
On June 8, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that a number of cattle were allegedly slaughtered illegally at several places during Eid and parts of the meat were thrown at multiple locations in various parts of the state.
For dumping suspected beef during the recent Eid, police arrested around 80 people across Dhubri, Hojai, Goalpara and Lakhimpur districts.
Sarma, on June 20, had said that the implementation of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act will be strictly enforced in all districts to prevent availability and consumption of beef within a 5 km radius of religious places of worship.
"The availability and consumption of beef during the recent Eid, despite the ban within a 5 km radius of temples and other places of worship, is a very serious matter," he had said at a press conference.
PTI