An illegal cow slaughterhouse which was being used to manufacture illegal arms was busted by Azamgarh police on July 10. Apart from carcasses, ammunition, including carbines were recovered in heavy quantity.

The Azamgarh police arrested the main accused, Mehboob Alam Sheikh along with 13 others, including a woman in this connection. Shaikh is a resident of Karkarhata village of Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh. These illegal operations were reportedly being conducted at his house.

According to SP Azamgarh, Triveni Singh, the others arrested are identified as, Abdul Baddu, Tipu Sultan, Md Sohail, Shafiq, Arif, Jameel Ahmed, Faiz Ahmad, Md Tariq, Md Jaish, Rizwan Ahmed, Jawwad Ahmed, Md Osama and Rukhsana Bano. They had reportedly been working for Mehboob Alam Sheikh for a long time. The accused were manufacturing illegal weapons under the guise of running a slaughterhouse, confirmed the SP.

SP Triveni Singh confirmed that “acting on a tip-off regarding largescale cow slaughtering in a house near a prominent graveyard in the area, a joint team of crime branch and Kotwali police raided the place”.

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As the police team barged into the house all the accused attacked the police teams. A police officer was attacked with a sharp tool. Coincidently, the officer was wearing a bulletproof jacket because of which he was saved. The police, however, nabbed 14 accused while several managed to flee.

The police recovered Rs 52,000, six calves, meat and knives besides partially manufactured firearms, including carbine, pistols, etc., from the spot. Following the recovery, veterinary doctors were called for an autopsy of the slaughtered animals after which the carcasses were buried.

“Apart from an attempt to murder and other sections of IPC, the accused were booked under appropriate sections of Prevention Cow Slaughter Act and Arms and Explosives Act,” said the SP. He also announced a cash reward of Rs 25,000 for the police team for their achievement.

Earlier we had reported how a madarsa in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh was used as a front to smuggle illegal weapons. The weapons were reportedly ferried in a vehicle with ‘Shiv Sena’ sticker to avoid suspicion.