1,286 kg meat, including suspected beef, seized at Delhi Nizamuddin railway station

A consignment of 1,286.35 kg of meat, including suspected beef, was seized at Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station after the Railway Vigilance unit alerted the police about 20 cartons being transported through the railway parcel service, officials said on Sunday.The consignment, comprising 20 thermocol cartons, was brought from Hyderabad to Delhi aboard the Dakshin Express (12721) and was found at the New Washing Line in the Hazrat Nizamuddin railway yard, where cargo unloaded from trains is handled.According to the police, the cartons had been booked from Hyderabad under the descriptions of "Mutton" and "Meat Items". However, suspicion that the consignment could contain beef prompted the authorities to launch an investigation.Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) B Bharat Reddy said the police received information about the suspected consignment from the Railway Vigilance unit at Baroda House at around 9 am on November 8. "Our team reached the Nizamuddin washing line, where cargo from trains is unloaded. Teams from Railway Vigilance and the Railway Parcel Service also arrived at the spot. The suspected cartons were subsequently unloaded," Reddy said.A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), along with a veterinary doctor and the investigating officer, was subsequently called to examine the seized material and collect samples for testing. "The samples will be examined to ascertain the nature of the meat and establish whether the consignment contained beef," a senior police officer said.Reddy said the consignment had been booked through a logistics company whose name had also emerged during the investigation. However, the police have not yet established the nature of the meat or confirmed whether it was beef."If the meat is confirmed to be beef, appropriate legal action will be taken under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant special laws," the DCP said.Teams from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) were also present at the railway yard during the seizure and investigation.Police said samples would be sent to the FSL for scientific examination, while a veterinary doctor would also assist in determining the nature of the seized meat.The authorities are completing the necessary legal formalities, including documentation through the e-Sakshya platform, police said.Since the consignment comprises perishable items, the prescribed legal procedure for its disposal will be followed after samples have been collected and the required formalities completed, Reddy said.The police are awaiting the forensic examination report to establish the exact nature of the meat. Further investigation into the consignment, its booking and the logistics company involved is underway.- Ends