The investigation into the alleged beef racket and fake meat licence scam in Madhya Pradesh's capital has reached the gates of Van Vihar National Park, one of the city's most sensitive wildlife zones.
Official documents from the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's veterinary branch and the Forest Department confirm that meat was supplied to Van Vihar based on licences later declared completely fake, raising serious questions of negligence, collusion, and administrative cover-up.
In a strongly worded order issued on February 4, 2026, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force (PCCF) made it clear that meat was supplied to Van Vihar using licences that had already been identified as forged by the Municipal Corporation. A copy of the order was accessed by NDTV.
Terming the issue "extremely sensitive" and directly linked to the health and safety of wild animals, the PCCF directed the Van Vihar management to complete an internal investigation and submit a report within three days.
At the centre of this is a letter dated May 16, 2025, issued by the Municipal Corporation's veterinary branch, which categorically declared the meat sale licences issued in the names of Amjad Qureshi and Ayaz Qureshi, operators of mutton and chicken shops, as fake and invalid. Despite this meat supply to Van Vihar allegedly continued, triggering questions about why the park management failed to verify the authenticity of the licences and how such a lapse was allowed in a protected wildlife area.
The case is closely linked to the Jinsi slaughterhouse in Bhopal, which was sealed earlier on charges related to cow slaughter. What initially appeared to be a case of illegal meat trade has now snowballed into a far larger expose.
A separate letter from the Municipal Corporation's veterinary branch revealed that all documents of Aslam Qureshi alias Aslam Chamda's slaughterhouse were found to be fake on May 5, 2025. Even after this discovery, no FIR was registered, and no action was taken, allegedly due to the collusion of officials.
Complainant and activist Ajay Dubey, in his complaint to the Forest Department, has alleged that this was not a routine administrative lapse but a deliberate attempt to provide protection. With the PCCF's direct intervention, the roles of Van Vihar management, the Municipal Corporation, and the police are now under intense scrutiny.
Politically, the matter has triggered sharp reactions. Asked about the documents and the revelations, Cabinet Minister Vishwas Sarang said that anyone found involved in cow slaughter "at any level" should face the harshest punishment, asserting that protection of the cow is the government's commitment.
On the other hand, former minister and Congress leader PC Sharma launched a scathing attack, alleging that under the BJP's "triple-engine government," cows were openly slaughtered and yet no action was taken, demanding strict accountability.
Sealed Slaughterhouse Controversy
The sealed slaughterhouse in Bhopal's Jinsi area has prompted many more unsettling questions than the alleged smuggling of cow meat under the guise of buffalo meat. At the heart of the controversy now is the alleged illegal settlement of Rohingya refugees, forged identities and their use as labour in a powerful slaughterhouse network, raising serious concerns about national security, governance and systemic protection in the capital of Madhya Pradesh.
The spotlight is firmly on Aslam Qureshi alias Chamda, the operator of the Jinsi slaughterhouse. Aslam Chamda began his business in 1988, buying buffalo hides from villages and later secured contracts for lifting dead cattle. Over time, his grip on the Municipal Corporation allegedly became so strong that no rival dared to bid against him.
The arrest of Aslam Chamda has pushed the probe towards senior municipal officials, with signatures of top officers found on tender files. Yet, the absence of questioning so far remains a concern. The case gained further gravity after the seizure of 26 tonnes of beef on December 17, revelations of a foreign supply network, and suspicious consignments sent out just weeks after the slaughterhouse was handed over under a PPP model.
