Notwithstanding claims by the authorities, the supply of rotten meat continues unabated in the Kashmir Valley, with around 1,600 kilograms of deteriorated meat seized at Budgam Railway Station after Railway Police alerted the Food Safety Department about a suspicious consignment that was leaking blood and emitting a foul smell.
SHO Railway Police Budgam, Baynazir Iqbal, told the media that the consignment was inspected on the spot by the Veterinary Department. A veterinary doctor issued a certificate declaring the meat unfit for human consumption due to its highly deteriorated condition and potential health risks.
She said the seized meat was being disposed of in the presence of the Tehsildar, Executive Officer of the Municipal Committee Budgam, and officials of the Food Safety Department.
An FIR (No. 05) has been registered under Section 271 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), while further investigation is underway to identify those responsible for transporting and handling the consignment, she said.
The SHO said the consignment was unmarked and had not been booked in the name of any identifiable person. Police are also questioning railway authorities about how such a consignment was accepted without proper documentation.
She said the transportation of meat requires proper documentation, including slaughterhouse, veterinary and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certificates, besides adequate refrigeration facilities to maintain the prescribed temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius or below.
However, the seized meat had arrived in ordinary packaging without ice or any refrigeration arrangements, she added.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, Budgam, Mufti Umar, said the department received a call from Railway Police at around 3 pm on Friday, following which a team rushed to the railway station for inspection.
He said the meat was found in a highly deteriorated condition, with containers leaking blood and emitting a foul smell. The consignment had also not been transported under the required frozen conditions of minus 18 degrees Celsius or below.
Mufti Umar said a veterinary surgeon examined the consignment and issued a certificate declaring it unfit for human consumption. The findings were subsequently verified by the Food Safety team, including the food analyst and officials of the mobile food testing van.
He further said a magistrate deputed by the district administration issued an order for the disposal of the seized meat to prevent it from entering the public distribution channel. The Assistant Commissioner urged people to report suspicious food consignments to the department, reiterating its commitment to ensuring food safety and protecting public health.
Reports said the consignment was intended for delivery to a factory in the bypass area. Police had apprehended the handler and were investigating to establish the identity of the person allegedly behind the transportation and supply of the meat.
The transportation of such meat through parcel trains had reportedly become a routine practice, and police would take steps to stop it.
Police appealed to the public to share any information regarding the transportation or supply of unsafe meat. The SHO also urged media persons to report information about criminal activities and unlawful practices to the authorities.
The seizure comes against the backdrop of a major food safety controversy in Kashmir in August 2025, when authorities uncovered an alleged racket involving the supply of decomposed, unlabelled and chemically treated mutton and poultry.