Navi Mumbai: Six held for stealing and butchering cattle, selling their meat to slaughterhouses

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Police in Navi Mumbai have arrested six persons for allegedly stealing and butchering cattle owned by local farmers.

The accused, who are in their twenties, were arrested this week for stealing the animals from Panvel taluka in Raigad district of Maharashtra, an official told news agency PTI on Friday.

"Earlier this month, two cases were registered in Panvel in which two local farmers alleged that unidentified persons stole their cattle from their sheds," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Panvel Zone-2) Pankaj Dahane told PTI.

A rise in the cases of cattle theft was observed in the region. Following the complaints, the police team zeroed on the accused and arrested them, he said.

It was later found that after stealing the cattle, the accused also butchered them and sold their meat to slaughterhouses, he added.

The accused were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the police said, adding that a probe was on.

Earlier, two persons were arrested for allegedly transporting beef worth Rs 45,000 in Maharashtra's Thane district.

Based on a tip-off, the police intercepted a tempo on May 18 and recovered 300 kg of the banned meat, inspector Pramod Kumbhar of Narpoli police station told news agency PTI.

An offence under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Maharashtra Animal Protection Act has been registered against the accused, who are from neighbouring Mumbai, he added.

On May 1, Police said that seven persons were booked for allegedly slaughtering a cow in Maharashtra's Thane district, one of whom has been arrested.

The Bazarpeth police station official said 250 kilograms of meat worth Rs 50,000 and two cows worth Rs 40,000 were seized from the spot along with a car and autorickshaw.

"On Sunday, a police team raided a site after being tipped off that a cow was being slaughtered in the open. Six of the accused managed to flee, while one was arrested," a police official told PTI.

They have been charged under Indian Penal Code and Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act and efforts were on the nab the other accused, the official said.

(With inputs from PTI)