SP functionary booked over ‘goat slaughter’ at former party office

Pilibhit: A case has been registered against Samajwadi Party district general secretary Nafees Ansari for allegedly slaughtering billy goats at his residence in KGN Colony during Eid-ul-Adha.

The FIR was lodged on Monday under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and BNS section 325 (mischief by killing or maiming an animal) on the complaint of Preetam Singh, in-charge of the Civil Lines police outpost under Pilibhit Kotwali police station.

In his complaint, the police officer stated that while on law and order duty on June 1, he received information that Ansari had allegedly slaughtered goats between May 28 and May 30 after tying them with ropes and subjecting them to cruelty.

According to the complaint, the slaughter took place in a portion of the premises being used as a Samajwadi Party office. SHO Parmendra Singh said the FIR was registered because the premises were treated as a public place, where slaughter of goats had been prohibited by the administration.

Terming the action biased, Ansari and SP district president Jagdev Singh Jagga said only a small part of the residence was being used for meetings of party workers after the administration took possession of the party’s district office last year.

“We have not put up any signboard identifying Ansari’s residence as a party office. It is not a permanent office but only a place where workers occasionally meet after we lost possession of the party’s district office,” Jagga said. He alleged that the FIR reflected police excesses under the BJP govt.

The SP office had been operating from a municipal council property allotted to the party on a 15-year lease in 2005. After the lease expired in 2020, the party was served notices to vacate the premises.

The district president later filed a civil suit in a Pilibhit court. However, after the party failed to secure interim relief, the administration took possession of the property on Nov 28 last year and subsequently demolished the structure.