In Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, authorities have demolished the houses of 11 people as part of a crackdown on the “illegal beef trade’. According to Mandla Superintendent of Police Rajat Saklecha, the demolitions occurred on government land as part of the broader crackdown on illegal activities involving cattle.
SP Saklecha said that the action followed a tip-off about a large number of cows being held captive for slaughter in the Bhainwahi area of Nainpur town.
“A team was rushed there, and we found 150 cows tied in the backyards of the accused. Cow meat was recovered from the refrigerators in the homes of all the 11 accused. We also found animal fat, cattle skin, and bones, which were stuffed in a room,” Saklecha told PTI.
The local government veterinarian confirmed that the seized meat was beef, and samples have been sent to Hyderabad for secondary DNA analysis to corroborate the findings. Following the discovery, an FIR was registered, and one of the accused has been arrested, with a search ongoing for the remaining ten suspects.
“The houses of the 11 accused were demolished as they were on government land,” SP Saklecha said, adding that the area had become a notorious hub for cow smuggling.
In Madhya Pradesh, cow slaughter is punishable by a seven-year jail term.
The 150 rescued cows have been sent to a cattle shelter in the wake of the operation. Authorities are also investigating the criminal backgrounds of the accused, saying that two of the suspects already have known criminal histories.
“All the accused are Muslims,” police sources added.
