Assam Police Crack Down on Illegal Beef Trade; 133 Arrested, Over 1,000 kg Seized
This enforcement drive comes close on the heels of recent communal tensions during Eid, during which 16 people were arrested for allegedly slaughtering cattle illegally.
By : Manoj Anand
Update: 2025-07-02 11:42 GMT
Guwahati: In a state-wide crackdown against the illegal sale of beef, the Assam Police on Wednesday said they have raided 112 eateries across the state, arrested 133 people, and seized over 1,000 kg of suspected beef since Tuesday.
Informing that raids were carried out in Guwahati, Nagaon, Charaideo, Kokrajhar, South Kamrup, and Dibrugarh, IGP (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh said that both cooked and raw meat suspected to be beef was seized in large quantities. A total of 112 eateries were searched across the state as of 8 pm Tuesday, resulting in the apprehension of 132 individuals and the seizure of 1,084 kg of suspected beef.
According to reports, several kilograms of beef were recovered and many individuals involved in the beef trade were detained, although several others managed to flee during operations at various locations.
More than 70 kg of beef was recovered from hostels in Guwahati's Katahbari area on Wednesday during a raid by the Garchuk police. Security sources added that police also recovered suspected beef from a hotel located close to a Kali temple.
This enforcement drive comes close on the heels of recent communal tensions during Eid, during which 16 people were arrested for allegedly slaughtering cattle illegally.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reiterated that while religious freedoms are protected, any violation of the law will invite strict action.
Mr Sarma recently announced that the government would tighten the implementation of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, following incidents where beef was allegedly displayed by miscreants near a temple in western Assam’s Dhubri district.
While the Act does not ban the consumption of beef, it includes a provision that prohibits the sale of beef and beef products in areas “which are predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other non-beef eating communities or within a radius of 5 km of any temple, satra, or other religious institutions belonging to the Hindu religion or any other institution or area as may be prescribed by the competent authority.” It also permits the sale of beef or beef products only at places “permitted to do so by the competent authority.”
Mr Sarma has reiterated his government's commitment to imposing a complete ban on the public consumption of beef in the state, including at restaurants and community gatherings.