Even as the controversy over the meat seized at the Egmore Railway Station being either dog or goat meant has been settled with the official test report holding that it is not dog meat, the Madras High Court has directed the state government to submit a report about the way the confiscated meat was destroyed.
Madras High Court
Chennai:
However, with the Government pleader submitting that since the meat seized was in a rotten state and hence destroyed, the bench sought to know under what sections the meat was destroyed and the method deployed to destroy it. The bench then directed the state government to submit a report regarding this on December 6.
People for Cattle In India in its plea while citing the delay in submitting the ‘species report’ had submitted that while the Railway Protection Force (RPF) registered a FIR four days after the seizure, several sections of PCA, IPC, FSSAI and Pollution Acts related to the seizure has not been included in the FIR.
Also, noting that the quantity of the meat seized was high and it was reportedly meant for a big chain of restaurants, the plea submitted that the modus operandi raises doubt as to whether these traders of meat are habitual offenders and the involvement of a meat mafia is likely.
The plea sought the court for a direction to the state government to submit the species report and appoint an advocate commissioner to ascertain the type of meat seized by the agencies and the proposed method of disposal employed by them.
The division bench, comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice P Rajamanickam, before whom the plea moved by People for Cattle In India (PFCI) came up for hearing recorded the Government pleader’s submission that the Meat Science Department of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Vepery, has ascertained that the seized meat was not that of dog but was either that of a sheep or a goat.
However, with the Government pleader submitting that since the meat seized was in a rotten state and hence destroyed, the bench sought to know under what sections the meat was destroyed and the method deployed to destroy it. The bench then directed the state government to submit a report regarding this on December 6.
People for Cattle In India in its plea while citing the delay in submitting the ‘species report’ had submitted that while the Railway Protection Force (RPF) registered a FIR four days after the seizure, several sections of PCA, IPC, FSSAI and Pollution Acts related to the seizure has not been included in the FIR.
Also, noting that the quantity of the meat seized was high and it was reportedly meant for a big chain of restaurants, the plea submitted that the modus operandi raises doubt as to whether these traders of meat are habitual offenders and the involvement of a meat mafia is likely.
The plea sought the court for a direction to the state government to submit the species report and appoint an advocate commissioner to ascertain the type of meat seized by the agencies and the proposed method of disposal employed by them.