Phagwara ‘beef’ processing case: Two more held; cold storage, dhaba sealed
Two more persons have been arrested in connection with a suspected illegal beef processing and distribution racket in Phagwara late on Thursday. One of the suspects reportedly has links to Vijay Basant, husband of an AAP councillor, while the other is Hussan Lal. They have been taken into custody and produced before a local magistrate on Saturday. Both have been sent to five-day police custody.
The arrests follow a major raid conducted earlier on Friday evening at a cold storage unit and a roadside eatery, Jyoti Dhaba, near Chachoki village. Based on a tip-off, the police seized approximately 29 quintal and 32 kgs of suspected beef from the premises. The authorities have since sealed both locations and initiated legal proceedings under relevant sections of the law.
Seven individuals have been arrested, including six residents of Malda district in West Bengal, and one local resident of Chachrari village. One of the accused is reportedly a foreign national from Myanmar. All have been remanded in five-day police custody for further interrogation. According to Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora, several others named in the FIR, including the dhaba owner and suspects from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Myanmar, are absconding.
The FIR, based on a complaint by Gurpreet Singh, national president of the Sanyukt Gau Raksha Dal, alleges that the facility was used to process and package beef for supply to Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Senior police officers, including SP Rupinder Kaur Bhatti and DSP Bharat Bhushan, inspected the site and supervised the sealing of both establishments.
The incident has triggered strong reactions across political and civic groups. Shiv Sena (Punjab) vice-president Inderjit Karwal called for a thorough and impartial probe into what he described as a troubling nexus between criminals and individuals in positions of political or administrative influence. Karwal sought a probe into the role of local MC, police and politicians with regard to the scam.
Phagwara Mayor Rampal Uppal termed the incident “deeply disturbing” and called for a thorough investigation to expose the entire network behind the operation. He urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, particularly around isolated or abandoned buildings.
A delegation from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), led by Punjab vice-president Manish Sood, met the SSP to demand strict action, including forensic analysis of call records and a verification drive targeting migrants from other states, with particular focus on individuals of suspected Rohingya origin. The delegation cited concerns over national security and potential links to broader illegal networks.
Leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal and Hindu organisations also condemned the incident and demanded that the full extent of the alleged cow slaughter racket be uncovered. Law enforcement agencies have assured that the investigation will be conducted thoroughly and impartially, with no leniency for those found complicit.
The seized meat has been sent for laboratory analysis, and results are awaited. Meanwhile, investigations continue into the source of the meat, the network’s financing and potential inter-state or international links.
Jalandhar