The stringent National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked against two individuals arrested after the recovery of cow meat in a village in Morena district, Madhya Pradesh, police reported on Sunday.
The incident came to light on Friday night following a complaint about cow slaughter in Noorabad village’s Bengali colony. Authorities seized beef and cow skin from a residence in the area, according to an official statement.
Anipal Gurjar, a local villager, reported witnessing the slaughter and claimed he was attacked when he tried to intervene, explained Sub Divisional Officer of Police Adarsh Shukla. Gurjar managed to escape and subsequently filed a complaint with the police.
Upon investigation, law enforcement recovered two sacks containing bones and beef, as well as cow skin, from the house of the accused. Four individuals, including two women, were arrested on the same night, and a minor was also detained, said the official.
Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Thakur stated that two of the arrested individuals, identified as Asgar and Retua, were charged under the NSA on Saturday and subsequently incarcerated.
Following the incident, several right-wing groups staged protests and blocked roads on Saturday, demanding strict action. The police have registered cases against nine individuals under the MP Anti-Cow Slaughtering Act, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and various sections of the Indian Penal Code related to rioting, assault, and intimidation, informed Shukla.
Cow slaughter in Madhya Pradesh can lead to imprisonment of up to seven years. Authorities are still searching for more than six other suspects believed to be involved in the incident. The suspects are reportedly not natives of Morena but had moved to the area for labor work from other states like Bihar and West Bengal, said Thakur.
In a related development, the state BJP government also invoked the NSA against two men accused of cow slaughter in Seoni on Saturday and subsequently transferred the district collector and superintendent of police involved in that case.