On Saturday (6th April), Gujarat Police raided a Vadodara-based samosa shop, ‘Huseni Samosa center’, and arrested six persons, including eatery owners Yusuf and Naeem Sheikh for selling samosas stuffed with beef. The six accused were sent to one-day police custody by the court on Sunday. During interrogation, the eatery owners revealed the name of their beef supplier as Bhalej resident Imran Yusuf Qureshi. On Monday (8th April), the Vadodara Police arrested Imran in this case.
During the raids in the Chhipwad area, the Police seized the stock following which the FSL report confirmed that the meat stuffed in Samosa was ‘beef’ (cow meat). Police investigation revealed that the owners of this samosa shop were operating the eatery without a license.
Speaking with the Indian Express, Zone 4 Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panna Momaya said, “The accused used to supply ready-to-fry samosas to the stalls and shops selling meat samosas across the city. They also sold ready-to-eat samosas from their own shop in Chhipwad in the old city area. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report has now confirmed that the seized meat was beef. The accused used beef to extract maximum profit from the business, selling it to unsuspecting customers. The owners did not have any license from the civic body to run the shop.”
The DCP added that during the raid the police also seized 61 kg of prepared ready-to-fry samosas. After receiving the FSL report, police also seized bowl and crusher machines worth Rs 49,000.
He added that the seven accused have been booked under Section 8 and Section 10 of the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill 2017, which prescribes penalties for contravention of the anti-cow slaughter law.
As per reports, the accused Imran was previously working in a meat exporting company. He is originally from Dahod and has been staying with his wife and mother for the last three to four years. While working at a butcher shop in Vadodara, he came in contact with the other accused. After this, he came to Bhalej and started supplying beef-laced samosas.
A tip-off led Police to bust the beef supply racket
On Saturday, the police raided the eatery shop in the Chhipwad area after receiving information from a local animal activist Neha Patel. Patel, who runs an animal cruelty prevention organisation, got the information that the samosas were stuffed with beef and approached the police.
Acting on the tip-off, the Local Crime Branch of Vadodara City Zone 4 raided the eatery and seized a total of 113 kg of beef as well as 152 kg of the filling prepared to make the samosas from the popular ‘Hussaini Samosa’ suppliers.
Regarding this entire incident, DCP Panna Momaya said, “On April 6, a raid was conducted on Huseni Samosa Center at Panigate based on information. More than 300 kg of meat was recovered from there. FSL investigation revealed it to be beef. 6 were arrested along with 4 people working in the shop, including shop owners Mohammad Yusuf Sheikh and Naeem Sheikh.”
The DCP further said, “During remand interrogation, the accused confessed that Imran alias Daudi Yusuf Qureshi of Bhalej was supplying them with this quantity of beef. Along with this, Bhalej’s supplier Imran Qureshi has also been arrested.”
The arrested accused include Yusuf and Naeem Sheikh, the owners, as well as employees Hanif Bhathiyara, Dilawar Pathan, Moin Habdal, and Mobin Sheikh. The seventh accused, the beef supplier from Bhalej, Imran Qureshi was arrested two days later from his home.
As per reports, the accused operated from a five-story facility with one room transformed into a deep freezer to keep beef and other meat. Yusuf Sheikh told the police that he joined his father’s samosa business. However, investigations revealed that they did not have a license to run the shop.
Meanwhile, according to officials, many people in the city ate these beef samosas.
