Raipur: Three persons have been arrested for allegedly selling and possessing beef in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district, the police said.  

Two alleged beef traders -- Sarfaraz Hussain (30) and Gulab Mahli (27) -- and a local buyer of the meat, Pascal Minj (40), were nabbed yesterday from Nandutoli Kurmura village in Jashpur, located around 400 kms from here, Narayanpur police's station house officer (SHO) Anita Prabha Minj told PTI today.  

The traders had brought about 80 kgs of beef in their van from Bandega village in the neighbouring Sundargarh district of Odisha to allegedly sell it in the bordering villages, she said.   The meat was packed in plastic bags of one kg each and kept in a big drum, the police official said. Upon noticing their suspicious activities, some villagers intercepted them and after finding the meat in their vehicle, they informed the police, she said. 

"During interrogation, the duo admitted to have brought the banned meat for trading," the SHO said.   Later, based on their statements, the police searched the house of Pascal Minj, whom they had sold the beef, and the meat was recovered from there, she said.   The seized meat was then immediately sent for inspection to a local veterinary lab which confirmed that it was beef, the SHO said.  

The three persons were subsequently arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Chhattisagarh Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act 2004, she said.   They were produced in a local court which remanded them in judicial custody, the police official added.   The slaughter of cow, buffalo, bull, bullock and calf and possession of their meat is banned in Chhattisgarh. The transport of these animals to other states for slaughter is also banned. PTI