Seven booked for selling ‘beef biryani’ in Mewat

More than 14 months after Haryana authorities collected seven samples of biryani from Mewat, seven persons were booked at Ferozepur Jhirka police station on Saturday under the state’s cow protection Act and several sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The case was registered on the order of the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate. On October 13, the sub-divisional magistrate had ordered the police to investigate and take action in the matter. Naresh Kadyan, chairman, People for Animals, Haryana, had moved the court the same day seeking action in the matter.

On August 24, 2016, animal husbandry department and police officers collected seven samples of biryani from shopkeepers and vendors at Mundaka, in the Muslim-dominated district of Mewat, 85 km from Gurgaon. It lead to widespread outrage. Authorities claimed to have collected samples after information that beef biryani was sold in the area.

The samples were sent for testing to a laboratory at Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar and a report, prepared in the second week of September, had found seven samples containing “meat of cattle species”. The state government, however, went silent on the matter after widespread criticism on the action.

The police on Monday submitted a copy of the FIR in the Punjab and Haryana high court, which is conducting hearings on a petition in the matter.

The FIR has named Vakil, Sajid, Hakim, Jamshed, Irshad, Mohd Mohaui and Israil, all residents of Ferozepur Jhirka area. The accused have been booked under the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gau Samvardhan Act 2015, three sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and seven sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Implemented in March 2016, the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gau Samvardhan Act, 2015 makes cow slaughter punishable with rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of ₹1 lakh.

Read I Haryana govt collects biryani samples from Mewat, sends to lab to detect beef

“The accused should be arrested immediately. The police caused delay in filing the case despite the court order on October 13,” said Kadyan, who had also filed an application at Chief Minister’s Window in May this year.

Ravi Sharma, Kadyan’s counsel, said they have served a notice to Mewat police for the alleged delay in acting on the court order.

Mewat police officials did not respond to the allegation.

Haryana Congress vice president and Mewat leader Aftab Ahmed termed the action as a malicious move to malign residents.