Carcass meat probe: Sale of frozen meat banned in Kolkata’s govt markets; CID takes over probe

In a bid to counter the carcass meat racket, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Thursday brought into force new regulations under which shopkeepers in city markets run by the civic body will not be allowed to sell any type of frozen meat as well as chicken that has not been dressed in front of customers.

Sale of meat and meat products at eateries and stores in Kolkata has touched an all-time low ever since it was found that meat of dead animals left in dumping grounds in four districts was sold as food by a racket operating for more than five years.

In a simultaneous development, the criminal investigation department (CID) of Bengal Police took over the ongoing investigation started by Budge Budge police station in South 24 Parganas district on April 20. The CID on Thursday formed a special investigation team to take the probe forward.

The high-level committee set up by chief minister Mamata Banerjee held its first meeting on Thursday and instructed civic bodies across Bengal to conduct surprise inspections at eateries and shops. The committee also asked civic bodies to install close circuit cameras at all dumping grounds so that nobody can steal animal carcasses without being noticed.

Banerjee formed the committee on Tuesday. The state chief secretary heads the committee which comprises the director general of Bengal Police, commissioner of Kolkata Police and principal secretaries of health, animal husbandry, panchayat and urban development departments.

Earlier this week, the second public interest litigation (PIL) on the carcass meat issue was filed by Citizens for Social Justice, an NGO, at the Calcutta high court. Arindam Das, lawyer and secretary of the NGO, said the petition has prayed for not only strict laws against food adulteration but also laws that ensure safety of citizens.

The racket was first detected on April 20 at Budge Budge, about 28 km from Kolkata. Thirteen people, including Manik Mukherjee, a former CPI(M) leader who was expelled by the party in 2010 and Biswanath Ghorui, one of the key players in the operation, have so far been arrested by Budge Budge police station.

The accused have been charged under Sections 272, 273 and 308 of Indian Penal Code and Section 16 of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, West Bengal.