Almost 150 Kg of meat, suspected to be beef, was seized from a vehicle here at Bhadoi Pachali locality near Duliajan, police said on Monday.
The police also arrested two persons in connection to the case; they were identified as Ziauddin Ahmed and Habibur Rahman of Masjid Patty area of Duliajan.
The seizure was made by police on Sunday night following a tip-off from their active sources.
According to initial inputs, the police managed to arrest the two persons red-handed, while, they were being transporting a large quantity of suspected beef meat from Margherita to Duliajan in a four wheeler vehicle bearing registration number AS 06M 0116.
A case was registered against both the persons at Duliajan police station in connection with the incident and an interrogation of the two accused are underway.
It may be mentioned that the Assam assembly in the year 2021, passed a controversial legislation regulating the transportation, and slaughter of all cattle, and sale of beef and beef products in the state. Though the bill does not ban the beef business, however, some sections of intellectuals allegedly claimed that it virtually shuts all doors on running it in the state.
Cattle slaughter is permitted in Assam with certain procedural conditions, as is the sale and consumption of beef.
The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, was passed through a voice vote after opposition members, who wanted the Bill to be sent to a Select Committee during a two-hour discussion on the legislation, staged a walk out from the House.
The legislation bans interstate transport of cows through Assam, ostensibly to control their smuggling to neighbouring Bangladesh. It also bans transport of cattle from other states through Assam to places outside the state, and from any place within Assam to places outside the state “where slaughter of cattle is not regulated by law”. Further, movement of cattle from one place within the state to another located in Assam is also restricted, though a competent authority may issue permits for the transport of cattle for bona fide agricultural or animal husbandry purposes.
The bill also bans the sale of beef in areas with a predominant population of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and other non-beef-eating communities, or within a radius of 5km of any temple, ‘satra’ (Vaishnavite monastery) “or other religious institutions belonging to Hindu religion”.
Violations of the provisions of the bill could lead to imprisonment for three to eight years and fine between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.
