LUCKNOW: A 38-year-old man was arrested under the
Uttar Pradesh Prevention of
Cow Slaughter Act after he was caught in the city with more than two tonnes of allegedly prohibited
meat on Tuesday.
Police said Talah Akhtar, a resident of
Sitapur, was caught in the morning when his aide and he were coming to Lucknow to sell the meat of 15 animals allegedly slaughtered in his native district.
Akhtar’s aide, Chandbabu, managed to escape.
SHO Hassanganj Dhirendra Pratap Kushwaha said they got a tip-off about a vehicle that would be passing through Hasanganj carrying prohibited meat.
“We started checking all vehicles and nabbed the accused. We have sent meat samples to the lab for confirmation and destroyed the rest of it,” he added. Police suspect there were two more vehicles ferrying meat, but these managed to dodge being seized. “Someone alerted them about police presence on the route,” SHO Kushwaha said.
Akhtar is learnt to have told police that they have been doing the business for the past many years, but were never caught.