BHOPAL: After being in jail for more than two months, the prime accused in the high-profile beef trafficking case, Aslam Qureshi alias Chamda, has been slapped with the National Security Act (NSA) – just 24 hours after being released on bail.
The prime accused in the December 2025 beef trafficking case, who was arrested on January 8 and spent nearly 70 days in jail subsequently, was released from the Bhopal Central Jail reportedly on Wednesday late night, hours after being granted bail by the local court.
But just within 24 hours, the authorities in Bhopal invoked the NSA, on the application and detailed report of the capital city’s Jahangirabad Police. With the NSA being invoked against him, Qureshi (who operated the slaughterhouse in the city's Jinsi area) returned to jail on Thursday evening, just within 24 hours after being released on bail.
His release from jail on bail had angered various Hindu outfits.
While confirming the development, Bhopal’s police commissioner Sanjay Kumar said that the prime accused in the beef trafficking case has been sent to jail, after NSA was slapped against him. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the entire case will soon file the supplementary challan (charge-sheet) in the court.
While justifying the slapping of NSA against Aslam Qureshi, the state’s cabinet minister and local BJP MLA Vishwas Sarang said, “Anyone who indulges in cow slaughter-trafficking will not be spared by the Dr Mohan Yadav-led government in Madhya Pradesh.”
Back on December 17, 2025, a container was intercepted near the State Police Headquarters (PHQ) in Jahangirabad. Subsequently, 26.5 tonnes (265 quintals) of meat packed in hundreds of packets was seized from the vehicle, which was on its way to Mumbai.
Subsequent probe linked the consignment to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation’s modern slaughterhouse (PPP model) in Jinsi area, allegedly operated by Aslam Qureshi alias Chamda.
The testing of meat samples at a Veterinary College Lab in Mathura (UP) revealed that the meat was actually meat of cow or its progeny, whose slaughter and sale are banned and attract stern punishment in Madhya Pradesh.
The confirmation of the seized meat samples being of cow or its progeny in January 2026 led to the arrest of Aslam Qureshi and container driver Mohd Shoiab on January 8.
The arrested duo was booked under Sections 4 and 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act, 2004, which prohibit slaughter, possession, and transport of cow meat and carry punishment of up to seven years in prison. They have also been charged under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal conspiracy.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has filed a nearly 500-page chargesheet, but the defence (accused counsels) has alleged that it is incomplete because the lab report of the National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad has not been included. The accused’s counsels have also alleged contamination of the seized samples and conflicting lab reports in defence of their clients.