Uttar Pradesh: Four More Arrested in Kaushambi Meat Seizure Case After Police Say Suspects Opened Fire
Nearly three weeks after the arrest of three women in a raid on a house in Kaushambi's Sarai Akil area over allegations of cow slaughter, police have arrested four more individuals in connection with the case, following what they describe as an 'encounter'.
According to police, they received information that the accused were hiding in an orchard. When they approached, the suspects allegedly opened fire, and in the exchange, Mohammad Arshad alias Cheddan sustained a bullet injury to his leg. Three other suspects—Sunne alias Iliyas Khan, Nafees, and Fakrul—were arrested, while two others managed to escape, police said.
Kaushambi Circle Officer Shivank Singh stated that a forensic report from a laboratory in Mathura confirmed that the meat samples seized during the June 24 raid from Arshad's house were beef. The accused have been booked under various provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act at Sarai Akil Police Station.
The three women arrested in the June 24 raid—Shama Parveen, Shaista, and Fatima—are relatives of Arshad, who has six previous criminal cases against him, the last in 2016. All four accused are residents of Panara Gopalpur village. The other two arrested individuals are from neighbouring villages. Police said Nafees and Fakrul's names emerged during the investigation.
The absconding accused are the husbands of Shaista and Fatima, identified as Irfan and Badkau. Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to their arrest.
Officials said they raided Arshad's house based on a tip-off that beef was being cooked there. When they arrived, several men fled, and the three women present were arrested. Panara Gopalpur is a village of about 6,000 residents with a mixed population, located around 30 km from the Kaushambi district headquarters.
Sushil Pathak, a representative of the village sarpanch, said Arshad had previously been accused of cattle smuggling but had recently switched to trading goats. Expressing surprise at the allegations, Pathak said relatives of the arrested women are caring for their children. The relatives could not be contacted for comment.
