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Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
1.7 tonnes ‘beef' seized, 178 eateries & slaughterhouses raided, 196 arrested
Guwahati: Police have seized more than 1.7 tonnes of suspected beef during raids on hotels, restaurants, and slaughterhouses, and detained 196 people for violating the govt's prohibition on the beef public service and consumption in public spaces. The crackdown has been underway across the state since Tuesday. The enforcement was carried out under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, which restricts cattle slaughter and beef sales in regions predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, and Sikh communities, as well as within a 5-km radius of temples or satras. To reinforce this law, the state cabinet last year banned the serving of beef in any restaurant, hotel, public function, or public place. Inspector general of police (law and order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh told PTI that authorities launched a statewide operation on Tuesday to investigate reported cases of unlawful cattle slaughter and unauthorised beef sales in restaurants. Police said raids were carried out across 178 hotels, restaurants, and slaughterhouses in various districts of Assam over two days. The crackdown has come after chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma raised concern last month over illegal cattle slaughter during Eid celebrations in the state. On June 20, Sarma emphasised strict enforcement of the Act across all districts to prevent the availability and consumption of beef near religious sites.
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Assam: 132 persons apprehended for alleged illegal cattle slaughter, unauthorised sale of beef
The Assam Police apprehended 132 persons under the state's Cattle Preservation Act on Tuesday for alleged illegal cattle slaughter and unauthorised sale of beef in eateries. A total of 112 eateries were searched during the day and 1,084 kg of meat, which the police suspect is beef, was seized, Assam Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh told Scroll. While consumption of beef is not illegal in the state, the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, bans its slaughter and sale in areas predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain and Sikh communities or in areas that fall within a 5 km radius of a temple or satra (Vaishnavite monastery), or other religious institutions belonging to Hindu religion or any other institution or area as 'may be prescribed by the competent authority'. It also places tight restrictions on cattle transportation. On Tuesday, a suo-motu drive was initiated in the state to check reported incidents of illegal cattle slaughter and sale of beef in restaurants without authorisation, PTI quoted Kumar as saying. 'The main intention of the drive is to stop violation of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act,' Kumar told the news agency. In December, public consumption of beef, including at restaurants and community gatherings, was banned by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state. A legislation or legislative amendment to this end has not been passed yet. The crackdown on Tuesday came against the backdrop of more than 150 persons being arrested in Dhubri after animal remains alleged to be of a cow were recovered near a Hindu temple, The Indian Express reported.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Assam's crackdown on beef, 100 eateries raided, 1,000 kg meat seized, 132 arrests
Over 100 eateries across Assam were raided on Tuesday, and police said over 1,000 kg of suspected beef was seized, in a state-wide crackdown against the unauthorised sale of beef in eateries. Assam IGP (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh told The Indian Express that 112 eateries were searched across the state as of 8 pm Tuesday, after which 132 people were apprehended and 1,084 kg of suspected beef was seized. This comes in the backdrop of politics over beef and cattle taking centre stage in Assam over the past month, during which over 150 people were arrested in Dhubri alone after separate incidents of suspected cattle remains being recovered from near temples in Dhubri, Goalpara and Lakhimpur. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had alleged that the incidents were part of an attempt to create unrest 'since Eid ul Zuha'. Last month, Sarma had said the government would tighten the implementation of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, in response to these incidents. While the Act does not ban the consumption of beef, it has a section that prohibits the sale of beef and beef products in areas 'which are predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other non-beef eating communities or within a radius of 5 km of any temple, satra, or other religious institutions belonging to Hindu religion or any other institution or area as may be prescribed by the competent authority'. It also only allows the sale of beef or beef products at places 'permitted to do so by the competent authority'. Last December, Sarma had announced a complete ban on the public consumption of beef in the state, including at restaurants and community gatherings. However, a legislation or legislative amendment to this end has not been passed yet. The raids on Tuesday took place across all parts of the state. In Dibrugarh, the biggest town in eastern Assam, SSP V V Rakesh Reddy said three eateries were raided as of Tuesday evening. 'It is a crackdown against beef selling and to implement the Assam Cattle Preservation Act. We raided three hotels in the town and collected 15 kg of suspected beef from them. We also picked up three individuals. One of the eateries was operating right in front of a Kali temple. Such searches will continue,' he said. In central Assam's Nagaon district, SP Swapnaneel Deka said that 16 people had been apprehended as of Tuesday evening after raids in 15 eateries. These raids have also been reported from other districts, including Hojai, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Darrang, and Morigaon.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Assam: Eviction drive conducted in Nalbari, 82 bighas cleared
Guwahati: The Assam government on Monday carried out a large-scale eviction drive to clear 82 bighas of occupied Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) land in Bakrikuchi village under Nalbari district's Borkhetry revenue circle. The operation began at dawn with a heavy security deployment, including 500 police personnel, to prevent unrest. No clashes were reported during the demolition of unauthorised structures, officials claimed. District Commissioner Nibedan Das Patowary stated that over 70 per cent of the 300 affected families had voluntarily vacated before the drive, following a June 3 eviction notice. The Gauhati High Court had earlier mandated the clearance of all encroached VGR lands, designated for cattle grazing, across Assam. "Residents cooperated, and the process remained peaceful," said IGP Akhilesh Kumar Singh, who supervised the operation. Twelve bulldozers razed structures on the 82 bighas where houses stood, while the remaining 370 bighas, used for fisheries and agriculture, are under scrutiny for further action. Displaced families, now camped along the village approach road, demanded rehabilitation. The area also houses schools, mosques, and Anganwadi centres. This marks Assam's second major eviction this month after the June 15-16 drive in Goalpara's Hasilabeel, where 667 families were evicted. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that his zero-tolerance policy on encroachments has been successful in deterring fresh occupations. "Evictions will continue. Our biggest achievement is that people now think twice before occupying government land," Sarma said. Over the past four years, the state administration has conducted anti-encroachment operations in every district.
