Protesters gather in Bhopal over beef and water issues:ISBT office surrounded, effigy burning planned

A major protest will be held on Monday in Bhopal over the issues of beef and contaminated water supply that have been making headlines for the past month. Congress workers will gherao the Municipal Corporation office at ISBT, and effigies of those responsible will also be burned. The protest will be led by Congress leader Ravindra Sahu Jhumerwala. Contaminated water supply issues It should be noted that in Indore, many people lost their lives due to drinking contaminated water. A similar danger now looms in Bhopal. In several areas, water lines run alongside sewage lines, resulting in contaminated water supply. Meanwhile, water grievance hearings at ward offices are largely a formality, with even drain water being declared potable. During recent investigations by Bhaskar, a ward employee had declared drain water as safe to drink. Congress leader Sahu stated that in some areas, sewage water is mixing with water chambers, while in others, contaminated water is being supplied, causing residents to fall ill. Beef case in slaughterhouse Additionally, the case of beef found in a slaughterhouse has raised serious concerns. So far, action has been taken only against lower-level employees, while no measures have been taken against the responsible Mayor and MIC, although the slaughterhouse proposal had been approved in the MIC meeting. FIR and initial investigation The Jahangirabad Station In-charge, Man Singh Chaudhary, filed an FIR on December 24. It referenced the discovery of meat in container number UP 15 JT 4286 on December 17. On December 18, at the Veterinary Hospital Jahangirabad, a veterinary team collected samples from 5 boxes out of 265 quintals (26.5 tons) of meat loaded in the container. The remaining meat was handed over to container driver Shoaib, son of Kamaluddin. Samples sent to Mathura lab The meat samples were sent to the Forensic Laboratory in Mathura for testing. The report confirmed the presence of cow meat (sample belongs to cow or its progeny). Following confirmation, Hindu organizations protested in front of Arera Hills police station. Police then reached Live Stock Food Processor Private Limited, the modern slaughterhouse in Jinsi, and seized documents. The slaughterhouse operator was identified as Aslam Chamda Qureshi. The police collected all related information from the corporation. Driver Shoaib, resident near Muskan Public School, Iqbal Nagar Humayun Nagar, Meerut (UP), Thana Kharkhauda, was interrogated. After investigation, police registered a case against operator Aslam Chamda, driver Shoaib, and others under sections 4, 5, and 9 of MP Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act 2004 and section 61(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, believing that cow slaughter had occurred and the meat was being transported conspiratorially. Municipal corporation council developments This issue had escalated during the Municipal Corporation Council meeting on January 13, when Congress staged a walkout. Following this, Corporation President Kishan Suryavanshi directed action from the chair, leading to the suspension of the veterinary doctor and some employees. The matter is now heating up again.