BJP leader arrested after forensic test confirms he was carrying beef

Rural unit president claims Shaha will be expelled from the party

A member of India's ruling Bharatiya Janaya Party was arrested on Saturday, days after he was beaten by a group of men for carrying beef.

BJP worker Salim Shaha was arrested under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act.



Shaha was beaten up on July 12 by a group of men who had suspected he was carrying beef. After the beating up incident, samples of the meat that Shaha was carrying were sent for forensic analysis. According to police, the test results had said he was carrying beef. However, the BJP worker had claimed he was carrying mutton.

Four men were arrested earlier for beating up Shaha and were charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt.

Shaha was arrested on Saturday night, Superintendent of Police Shailesh Balkawde said. A Nagpur magistrate court sent Salim Shaha to police custody for a day, Scroll reported.



Rajiv Potdar, BJP’s Nagpur rural unit president had said that Shaha would be expelled from the party if found carrying beef. "Stern action should be taken against him according to the law, but people must not take law in their own hands and resort to violence in such cases," Potdar had said.

A video of a mob beating Shaha had gone viral. The video showed Shaha being dragged, kicked and assaulted by the group of men. Shaha had suffered injuries to his face and neck.