PUNE: Members of a cow-protection group intercepted two vehicles carrying four tonnes of meat at Ranjangaon , about 55km from here on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway, in the early hours of Sunday. The group informed the Pune rural police, who arrested nine persons in the two vehicles on suspicion that the seized meat was beef.The meat consignment was headed from Beed to Mumbai. Animal husbandry officer R D Yadav, who was summoned by the police, said the seized meat was beef. However, samples of the meat were still sent for a forensic lab test to ascertain whether it was cow, bullock or buffalo meat. The law prohibits possession or transport of cow and bullock meat but there is no such restriction for buffalo meat."We made the arrests because apart from the prima facie opinion of the animal husbandry officer, the suspects did not have a licence or permit from any veterinary authority for the transport of meat," Ranjangaon police's investigating officer Nanasaheb Kale said.All nine suspects were later produced in the Shirur taluka court which ordered their release on bail, Kale said. The suspects have been charged with bailable offences under sections 5 and 9 of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, which prohibits possession of beef.The Ranjangaon MIDC police were told about the illegal transport by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Krishi Gau Seva Sangh. Shivshankar Swami of the organisation lodged a complaint in this regard.Among those arrested were mini-truck driver Kausar Nasir Shaikh (37) of Beed, his helper Abdul Khan (26) of Uttar Pradesh, pick-up driver Mohammed Qureshi (28), his helper Arif Qureshi (37) (both from Kurla, Mumbai), Mohammed Khan (25) of UP, Salim Khan (20), Mohammed Khan (26), Mohsin Ahmed (22) and Lajuddin Khan (25), all from Kurla.The complainant, Swami, told TOI that he got information early on Sunday that beef would be transported in two vehicles on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway. The informant gave Swami the registration numbers of the two vehicles. Swami and other members of his group intercepted the vehicles near the bus stand at Ranjangaon around 3.30am. They found gunny bags filled with wood flour in the rear carriages of the vehicles and the meat concealed behind these bags.The police reached the spot and seized the meat which was preserved in ice. The drivers told the police that the meat in the mini-truck was from about 35 animals while that in the pick-up van was of 10 animals.Police investigations revealed that two men from Mumbai, including one from Bori Mohalla near J J hospital and one from Kurla in Mumbai, had ordered the meat. "Prima facie investigations reveal that the meat was loaded in the two vehicles at Vaijapur in Aurangabad district," an officer said.Swami, who is also the complainant in the recent two cases registered with the Pune city police, said the man from Kurla who had ordered the meat has two cases registered against him with the Wakad and Warje Malwadi police. The other man from Bori Mohalla has a case registered against him with the Yerawada police.

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