221 cowhides and 40 kg beef seized in Alwar

BJP MLA performs 'purification ritual' at accused's house

In the last 48 hours, around 40 kg of beef and skin of 220 cows have been found at a house in Alwar district, where two men were lynched over a span of one year on suspicion of cow smuggling.

Following a tip-off, the Alwar Police seized 220 cowhides, along with hides of 82 buffaloes and 45 goats, from two warehouses in Govindgarh town on Wednesday. The seizure was made on the revelation of Shakeel Qureshi (a butcher), who was arrested on Tuesday on charges of cow slaughter, the police said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Govindgarh Police raided the house of Shakeel Qureshi at Badbada Modh in Govindgarh town and recovered 40kg of beef from his house. Shakil, along with three women (his wife, mother and sister-in-law) were arrested on Tuesday. Shakil has been charged under the Bovine Act, which prohibits the slaughter of cows and the three women who were found packing the meat have been detained. The police said the meat was being smuggled into border towns of Haryana.

Meanwhile, veterinary officials have confirmed that the meat was beef. Veterinary doctor Jitendra Singh said, "The 221 cowhides were disposed of at a ground in the old fort area".

"A total of 221 cow carcasses were seized from a warehouse in Rajasthan's Alwar district. The animal carcasses were found buried inside a Govindgarh facility", Sub-Inspector Dhara Singh confirmed.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the accused, Saleem, held a licence for selling the skin of dead animals but he got into slaughter and sale of beef, which is illegal in Rajasthan as per the Bovine Act.

Purification ceremony by BJP MLA

Meanwhile, Ramgarh (Alwar) MLA and BJP leader Gyandev Ahuja, infamous for his controversial statements, reached the house of the accused along with his supporters and conducted a purification ceremony with Ganga water and rose petals.

The seizure comes exactly 10 days after a 31-year-old man Akbar Khan was beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of cow smuggling.

He was attacked on the intervening night of July 21- 22 while returning home along with two cows from the fields in Lalavadi village in Alwar. The police have so far arrested three men.