SIT takes charge of banned meat probe; DVRs seized

 

 

 

THE Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the high-profile banned meat supply case linked to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) slaughterhouse has formally taken custody of key evidence, marking the beginning of an intensive, top-to-bottom reinvestigation. As part of its initial proceedings, the SIT seized the facility’s case diary and Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) to begin a meticulous scrutiny of CCTV footage. Police officials confirmed that the SIT is revisiting the case from its inception, meticulously tracing every link in the supply chain of the prohibited meat. The scope of the investigation has significantly widened, with slaughterhouse employees and personnel involved in the packaging of processed meat now under the “police scanner.” Sources indicate that several staff members are likely to be summoned for questioning in the coming days to identify internal lapses.

 

A senior official stated that the SIT is currently examining technical and forensic evidence alongside documentary records to fix accountability. The investigators are also considering moving a plea to take the primary accused and slaughterhouse operator, Aslam Qureshi (alias Aslam Chamda), into police remand. The SIT’s deep dive into the records is expected to yield significant breakthroughs. Internal sources suggest that as the probe progresses and the technical data is decoded, the names of several new suspects may emerge, potentially leading to a series of fresh arrests in the highstakes case. The controversy dates back to December 17, when a container was intercepted carrying a suspicious consignment. The BMC slaughterhouse at Jinsi was subsequently sealed on January 8 after a report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) confirmed the presence of banned meat.