Navi Mumbai : In another setback for NCP Leader Ganesh Naik, his driver Irfan Patel has been arrested for selling beef.
This is the second arrest since the beef ban law came into effect. Prior to this a Worli meat seller was arrested. In Navi Mumbai this is the first arrest for beef ban law violation. Three persons were arrested after the police raided a under construction building in Koperkhairane and seized over 350 kg of beef and body parts of a bullock.
Irfan Patel had an expired goat meet license on him when he was arrested. The police acted on a tip from NGO People For Animals. The others arrested are Patel’s brother Rizwan and a worker, Mohammed Ibrahim Shaikh, under various sections of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 1995, for possession and trading.
Irfan Patel now faces a five year term as the newly-amended act makes the offence non-bailable. The arrest of Irfan Patel comes as an embarrassing set back for the Naiks who are already facing a lot of allegations and flak by both the opposition and activists.
