A cow vigilante and activist, Puneeth Kerehalli, was arrested on Friday (July 26) evening after he and other activists associated with him created a ruckus at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna City Railway Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka. They alleged that a parcel of animal meat unloaded from a train from Rajasthan was dog meat.
A lab report today confirmed that the seized meat at Okalipuram railway station was sheep meat, debunking the false information spread by murder-accused Kerehalli. This news was confirmed by Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday, July 31. He warned people to refrain from sharing fake news and rumors, which can cause disruptions in communities.
The Health Minister urged the public to rely on official information and reports for accurate details. Bengaluru Police seized 90 cartons of meat transported by train from Jaipur. Kerehalli, who is accused of killing cattle trader Idrees Pasha, alleged that the shipment was carrying dog meat and claimed it was being sold as other meat for consumption.
Fact-checking media reports, the Karnataka Health Department had the meat samples tested. According to a press release, a total of 84 parcels were sent to the ICAR-National Meat Research Institute in Hyderabad for lab analysis.
According to the report dated July 30, the test used the Molecular Biomarker Analysis (DNA) testing method, and the results confirmed that the meat was from "S: Ovis aries (sheep)." Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao urged the public to refrain from spreading unsubstantiated rumors.
"Now that the truth has been established, I urge the public to refrain from spreading unsubstantiated rumors and to rely solely on official reports for verification. Let us work together to maintain a well-informed and responsible community. Your cooperation is essential in preventing the spread of misinformation," said the Health Minister.
The parcel belonged to a trader named Abdul Razaak, who was sourcing meat from Rajasthan. Amid the chaos on Sunday, surrounded by media and officials, Abdul insisted on waiting for relevant officials before opening the cartons. When Abdul opened one carton, he maintained that everything was legal. He said, "The meat is kept in an ice box. We have FSSAI, trade, and BBMP licenses. The meat comes from Jaipur and is tested for quality. These allegations are fabricated. No illegal activity is involved."
The Karnataka Food Safety and Standards Department officials, along with police, also inspected the railway station and found parcels transported from Rajasthan being loaded into a transport vehicle on the station's outer premises, uncovering 90 parcels containing animal meat.