Carcass meat row: Properties of accused being seized, says Pande

Kolkata: State Consumer Affairs minister Sadhan Pande said that his department has initiated the process of seizure of properties of the persons who have been arrested by the police in connection with the carcass meat row.

"I had written to the Kolkata Police Commissioner as well as the state Director General of Police, seeking details of the case in connection with the carcass meat issue. The Kolkata Police has forwarded details of 30 cases, while the Bidhannagar Police has sent details of eight such cases. A team of my lawyers are examining the nitty gritties and we will be initiating civil cases against them. The common people will be happy when they will see that we have been able to seize the properties belonging to the persons involved in this case," Pande said.

It may be mentioned that some of the persons who have been arrested by the police in connection with the carcass meat row, own substantial properties including cars that they have managed to procure through the illegal business. "The criminal case will be looked after by the police and we will be starting civil cases," Pande said.

It may be mentioned that on April 20, three men were arrested in Budge Budge in South 24-Parganas, suspected of transporting carcasses from dump yards. Six days later, the police raided an ice factory in Kolkata's Rajabazar area, recovering over 18,000 kg of rotten meat, packaged and ready to be sold. The police have arrested as many as 13 persons in connection with the case.

Addressing a query from a Congress MLA on cheating of consumers over handing over apartments on the floor of the state Assembly, the minister said that people are moving to the High Court against consumer department's order for compensation against such frauds. "I have written to Ram Vilas Paswan, Union minister for Consumer Affairs, over this issue and we have moved the Supreme Court seeking a verdict on specifying the role of the High Courts in cases of consumer affairs. If there is interference of High Court in consumer matters then the consumer courts' existence is being put under question," the minister said.