By next month, Maharashtra police will be able to tell if the meat they have seized is that of a cow or not. Wondering how? The police is all set to get ‘detection kits’, equipment that will test the meat and give a result in about 30 minutes, Hindustan Times reported on Friday.
The news has already courted controversy with people criticising this as a case of “misplaced priorities”.
Here’s What the Kit Will Do
As many as 45 forensic vehicles will get this kit, the report added. Each kit costs Rs 8,000 and can test at least 100 samples.
“The kit will detect the proteins in the meat and give a result in 30 minutes. If the detector shows a change in colour, then the test is positive,” Kulkarni was quoted as saying by News18.
With the help of the kits, the police will be able to avoid seizing vehicles transporting meat as the testing can be done on the spot. “If preliminary tests reveal that the meat is that of a cow, we will collect samples and conduct a DNA test in the FSL. We will then draw up a final report,” the report quoted Kulkarni as saying. There have been several cases in the past where the police has seized meat weighing as much as 700 kg.
The state government amended provisions to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015, to ban the sale and transport of beef. Apart from fine, if someone is found selling or possessing beef, they can be jailed for up to five years.
Users on Twitter have been questioning the apparent misplaced priorities:
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