On 18th February, Rajasthan police busted an illegal beef market operating in Kishangarh Bas of district Khairtal-Tijara. The raid on the beef market was initiated by the police based on a report published by Dainik Bhaskar and information provided by an informant.
OpIndia accessed the FIR registered in the matter. The FIR was registered on 19th February under Sections 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9 of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995. It was registered against 22 named individuals that were Rati Khan, Sahun, Mosam, Harun, Ibbar, Alim, Aslam, Kamil, Saddam, Khalid, Fakru, Mormal, Sahun, Kayyum, Aslam (s/o Boda), Khalli, Rahish, Salim, Mannan, Khalid (s/o Chava), Kasam and Habbi. These individuals were residents of Barsangpur and Mirjapur in Kishangarh Bas of district Khairtal-Tijara in Rajasthan.
As per the FIR, DSP Dinesh Kumar and his team acted on the report published in Dainik Bhaskar newspaper about the illegal beef market operated on encroached land in Barsangpur and Mirjapur, among others. An informant confirmed that several individuals were preparing cattle for slaughter in the region. At 5:40 PM, based on the reliable information provided by an informant, the team proceeded towards the location where anti-social elements were illegally slaughtering cattle on the forest land.
Upon reaching the location, the police found that there were four cows tied with ropes around small trees. Around 18-19 individuals were standing nearby and fled on seeing the police team heading towards the village. The police personnel in the team who were aware of the cattle smugglers active in the area identified Ratti Kha, Sahun, Mosam, Harun, Ibbar, Aleem, Aslam, Kaleem, and Saddam among those who fled the scene. As there were no proper roads in the area, the police team attempted to chase the fleeing individuals on foot but could not find them.
Later, the team returned to where the cows were tied up. The police team examined the condition of the cows and found that one of the cows had injuries due to a tight rope around its neck. The other cow had two wounds on its back with blood clots. The remaining two cows were not injured. Two police personnel stayed with the cows for their protection while the rest of the team searched for other living cows.
The police spotted the carcass of one animal nearby, identified as a cattle. Despite extensive search, no other living cow was found in the area. However, the police found remains of dead animals at three different spots in the region and were collected as evidence.
Based on the evidence present at the scene, it appeared that the anti-social elements committed the crime of cattle theft several times in the past. The information was passed on to the higher authorities. As local veterinary doctors were unable to reach the spot and conduct a post-mortem of the remains found at the scene, the dead bodies were shifted to a veterinary hospital for further investigation. The living cattle found at the scene were moved to a Shri Krishna Gaushala in Bambora.
The police team then questioned the locals about the illegal beef market. It was revealed that individuals in the FIR were involved in cattle theft and slaughter for years. They used to sell beef in the surrounding villages.
Illegal beef market in Rajasthan
On 18th February, Dainik Bhaskar published a report that an illegal beef market was running in the remote wilderness of Kundhagadhbara in Kishangarhbas. The region falls under Alwar and Khairthal-Tijara districts. The latter was formed in 2023. The administration is still under the Alwar district. According to media reports, about 600 cows were slaughtered every month in this Beef mandi.
Additionally, it was operating Home delivery of beef in over 50 villages through a WhatsApp group and was supplying beef to about 300 shops. As per reports, the entire concerned Police Station has been attached to the police line (line hazir), and 4 Policemen have been suspended so far in the Beef Mandi case. The administration has reportedly taken bulldozer action on the illegal beef market. The administration also initiated an anti-encroachment drive and cleared around 500 acres of land.
