21 animals, 510kg meat seized in raid at illegal slaughter house

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Twenty-one cows and bulls, along with around 510kg of suspected beef, were seized in a joint operation by the crime branch and Cantonment police during a pre-dawn raid on an illegal slaughter unit operating from a godown behind the Kasambari Dargah garbage depot on Friday. One person was arrested on the spot, while five others managed to flee.Police said the raid was conducted around 4am after a sub-inspector received a tip-off about illegal cattle slaughter at the location. "On noticing the police, five people present at the spot fled under the cover of darkness. One accused, Manoj Bhalerao, was apprehended at the scene," crime branch inspector Gajanan Kalyankar said.During interrogation, Bhalerao allegedly disclosed the names of the absconding accused. "Teams have been deployed to trace and arrest them," the officer said.A search of the godown revealed 21 cows and bulls allegedly kept in cramped and inhumane conditions for slaughter, along with around 510kg of meat suspected to be from slaughtered cattle. "The total value of the seizure has been estimated at Rs 14.12 lakh, including animals worth Rs 10.5 lakh, meat worth Rs 1.02 lakh, a loading rickshaw worth Rs 1 lakh and three motorcycles worth Rs 1.6 lakh.According to investigators, Bhalerao told police that the owner of the premises had allegedly arranged the cattle for slaughter.An FIR has been registered at the Cantonment police station under sections 325 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with sections 11 and 9(c) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and provisions of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act.