In an unprecedented development, the Uttar Pradesh Police have seized assets worth 2.5 crores of three brothers in Moradabad on allegations that they were involved in cow smuggling.
The District Magistrate, under the Gangster Act, directed the Tehsildar of the village to seize the property of Farhan and his brothers, Sarik and Subhan, reported news agency ANI. After the district magistrate, Anand Kumar Singh, issued an order, the Tehsildar, along with the Kotwali Police, moved in with lightening speed to seize the plots that the brothers had purchased in many agricultural and urban areas.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Pankaj Kumar Pandey said, “Farhan, resident of Miya Sarai, is the leader of the smuggling gang. He committed illegal activities in the past five years and acquired wealth. The police handed over Farhan and his brothers to the DM.”
The government plans to declare the seized properties as their own in next few days.
In June, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced that cow smuggling and cow slaughter will be punishable offences and the accused will be tried under the NSA and Gangster Act. Aditynatah had also given police sweeping powers to detain people up to one year on mere suspicion.
Critics had slammed the move by saying the decision to slap NSA was to target Muslims and Dalits, who are primarily involved the cattle trade. The cattle traders had expressed deep apprehensions fearing harassment at the time of the announcement in June.
