Dog Meat Scandal in Bengaluru: 'Legal Action Will be Taken', Says Food Safety Dept

Bengaluru: Tensions flared at Bengaluru City Railway Station on Friday night when a consignment of meat, approximately three tonnes packed in around 150 cartons, arrived from Jaipur by train. According to news agency PTI, Puneeth Kerehalli, a cow vigilante previously jailed on a murder charge, alleged that the meat was dog meat. However, Abdul Razzaq, the meat dealer who ordered the shipment, refuted these claims. Razzaq asserted that the consignment was legally purchased and that the meat is indeed sheep, not dog. "We have legal documents to support our claim. You can also see the tail of the animal that was slaughtered—it’s sheep, not dog," Razzaq stated.

Moreover, he alleged that Kerehalli wanted to make money by levelling false accusations.  The confrontation escalated quickly, leading to hours of on-camera face-offs. The health department was called to the scene and, in response to the allegations, seized nearly 5,000 kilograms of the meat, which was sent to Hyderabad for testing.

 FIR Filed Against Meat Trader, Hindu Activists

An FIR has been lodged by the police against Abdul Razzak, the meat dealer and panelist who was present at the site. Razzak is currently being interrogated by the health department. An FIR has also been filed against the Hindu activist groups involved in the confrontation. The charges against them include obstructing official duty and illegal assembly.

Karnataka Food Safety and Standards Department Says Legal Action Will be Taken

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Food Safety and Standards Department said samples of animal meat found in the parcels were collected and sent to the laboratory for analysis following which legal action will be initiated. In a statement, the Food Safety and Standard Authority Commissionerate said, "The police department and officials from the Food Safety and Standards Department visited the railway station and conducted an investigation on July 26.

During the inspection, it was found that parcels received via a train from Rajasthan were being loaded into a transport vehicle in the outer premises of the station." According to them, there were a total of 90 parcels, and upon inspection, animal meat was found in the parcels. Samples were collected and sent to the food laboratory for analysis regarding species of animals.

"Based on the analysis reports, legal actions will be taken. Detailed information about the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) licenses of the senders and recipients of the parcels is being collected. If any discrepancies are found, further legal actions will be initiated as per regulations," it stated.