Carcass meat case: CID files charge-sheet against 12 persons

Kolkata: The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday filed a charge-sheet in connection with the carcass meat case against 12 persons in Alipore court.

The case was initiated at Budge Budge police station in South 24-Parganas on April 1, when locals beat up two youths and handed them over to the police, after they were caught chopping off flesh from dead animals dumped in the Budge Budge dump yard.

According to a senior CID official, the persons who have been named in the chargeshteet, include Binsen Saimon alias Bicky, Sunny Mallick, Bishwanath Gharui alias Bishu, Young Chai Hsio, Sikendar Ali , Sarafat Hossain, Manik Mukherji and 5 others. "We have also prayed to the court for the discharge of two persons Pradip Roy and Samsul Abedin as no evidence was found against them," the official added. The duo worked as security guards of the cold storage at Rajabazar under Narkeldanga police area from where sleuths had seized around 20 tonnes of carcass meat.

Six of the charge-sheeted persons who have been identified as the prime accused — such as — Binsen Saimon, Sunny Mallick, Bishwanath Gharui, Sarafat Hossain ,Manik Mukherji and Golam Mohammed alias Landa, are still in judicial custody in connection with another case initiated at Bongaon police station during the course of investigation. A charge-sheet has also been filed in connection with the Bongaon police station case on August 11.

The charge-sheet was filed under section 272 (Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), section 273 (Sale of noxious food or drink), section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and section 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code. The charge-sheet also includes all evidences, statements of around 60 witnesses and forensic reports of the samples that the CID had seized while probing the case.

It may be mentioned that the state Consumer Affairs department has initiated the process of seizure of property of the persons, who are already arrested by the police in connection with the carcass meat row.

Consumer Affairs minister Sadhan Pande had written to Kolkata Police Commissioner as well as the state Director General of Police seeking details of the case

Kolkata Police has already forwarded details of 30 cases, while Bidhannagar Police has sent details of eight such cases.

"A team of our lawyers are examining the nitty gritty and will be initiating civil cases against them. People will be happy when they realize that we have been able to seize the property belonging to the persons involved in this case," the minister said.