Four arrested in first ever case under Animal Slaughter Control Act in Asansol

Four persons were arrested for alleged illegal cattle slaughter involving cows, calves, and other cattle in Ichchapur village, West Bengal, marking the first case under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950 for the region. Faridpur police station registered Case No. 136/26 following a complaint by local resident Tarak Dhibar. According to official sources, the complaint stated that four individuals slaughtered cattle inside a closed enclosure without mandatory permission, sparking outrage and tension among residents. Acting on the complaint, police arrested Sheikh Rahim, Sheikh Alamat, Sheikh Hasim, and Sheikh Kalimuddin. An FIR was registered under Sections 4 and 5 of the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, Section 11(1)(i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 provisions. The accused were produced before a local court, which granted five days of police remand for Sheikh Alamat and Sheikh Hasim, while Sheikh Rahim and Sheikh Kalimuddin were remanded to judicial custody. The court directed that the practice must not take place in the open but strictly within closed premises, and further investigation is underway by the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Pradeep Kumar Rai.