High Court Denies Bail to Man Accused of 50 kg Illegal Beef Possession

• The Punjab and Haryana High Court denied anticipatory bail to a 62-year-old man accused of possessing and selling 50 kg of illegal beef.
• Justice Aradhana Sawhney ruled that the petitioner's defense of being misled by meat suppliers was an 'afterthought' and lacked credibility.
• The case was initially registered under Section 299 BNS for insulting religious sentiments, later adding Section 8 of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.
• Forensic analysis by the National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad, confirmed the meat was from a 'bull' or 'ox' (bos indicus), falling under the Act's definition of cow.
• The court emphasized that pre-arrest bail is an extraordinary relief, not a routine right, and custodial questioning is necessary to trace the larger chain involved in the illegal trade.

Why It Matters: High Court rejects pre-arrest bail for man accused of illegal beef, citing 'afterthought' defense and need for further investigation.