Srinagar

Authorities conducted raids at multiple locations in the city here on Tuesday as part of a crackdown on rotten and adulterated meat in the Kashmir valley.

"In a joint operation, the Srinagar Police and the Food Safety Department conducted raids at multiple locations across the city, targeting vendors suspected of selling unhygienic and expired meat products," a police spokesperson said.

He said during the operation, substantial quantities of rotten meat were seized and destroyed on the spot under the relevant sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

In one such action, the Srinagar Police, in collaboration with officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), raided a cold-storage unit in Parimpora, where rotten meat was stored. The meat and the cold-storage were seized under the relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, the police spokesperson said.

He said the action was part of an intensified drive to safeguard public health and ensure strict adherence to food-safety standards.

Similarly, the spokesperson said acting on credible inputs received at the Zakoora police station, authorities identified Abdul Hameed Kuchay, a resident of Soura and the operator of Sunshine Foods located at Zakoora, as a key suspect.

"He is alleged to be involved in a criminal conspiracy with Arif Ahmad Shah, a resident of Baghat Barzulla, to supply decomposed meat unfit for consumption in large quantities to restaurants and hotels across Srinagar," the police spokesperson said.

This deliberate act of distributing rotten meat poses a serious threat to public health and constitutes a grave offence under applicable laws, he said, adding that a case has been registered under sections 271, 275 and 61(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and further investigation is underway.

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The Srinagar Police affirms that inspections and legal action will continue in collaboration with the departments concerned in the coming days to ensure strict compliance and accountability across the food-supply chain in the interests of public health and safety, the spokesperson added.