Ahmedabad Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail For Man Accused Of Illegal Beef Trade
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
An Ahmedabad City Civil and Sessions Court has rejected the anticipatory bail application of a man accused of allegedly selling beef illegally after police seized 250 kg of mixed cow and buffalo meat from a shop in the Danilimda area.
The court dismissed the plea filed by Afzal Qureshi, who had sought protection from arrest under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
Charges Registered At Danilimda Police Station
Qureshi faces charges at Danilimda Police Station under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act and the Gujarat Police Act.
According to the prosecution, police acted on a tip-off and raided a commercial shop, where they allegedly found 250 kg of mixed cow and buffalo meat valued at around ₹50,000.
Police also seized several tools allegedly used for cutting and processing meat, including two iron cleavers, a tin-handled knife, a blade sharpener, an electric weighing scale and a wooden chopping block.
Prosecution Opposes Bail
Opposing the anticipatory bail plea, the prosecution pointed to Qureshi's alleged previous criminal history and argued that custodial interrogation was necessary to uncover the wider network involved in the alleged trade.
The defence, however, submitted that Qureshi was innocent, was not present at the time of the raid and had no legal connection with the premises from which the meat was seized.
Court Finds Prima Facie Case
After considering the submissions, the court observed that a prima facie case had been made out concerning the alleged commercial sale of beef for financial gain.
The court also took into account the gravity of the alleged offence, the applicable penal provisions and the prosecution's concern that the accused could abscond, noting that he is a native of Uttar Pradesh.
The court concluded that custodial interrogation was necessary for the investigation and rejected Qureshi's anticipatory bail application.
