IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH ****

104 CRM-M-72360-2025 Date of Decision : 19.01.2026 NOOR MOHAMMAD ...Petitioner VERSUS STATE OF U.T CHANDIGARH ...Respondent CORAM: HON’BLE MS. JUSTICE AARADHNA SAWHNEY Present: Mr. Jasbir Singh Dadwal, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Rahul Arora, Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondent-UT, Chandigarh. Mr. Devinder Rajput, Advocate and Mr. Sushant Gupta, Advocate for the complainant.

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AARADHNA SAWHNEY, J. (ORAL)

1. This petition for grant of anticipatory bail under Section 482 BNSS, has been filed by petitioner, an accused in case bearing FIR No.106 dated 19.07.2025, registered against him at Police Station Sector 34, Chandigarh, for the commission of offences punishable u/s 299 BNS (Section 8 of Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 155 added later on).

2. Relevant facts as can be inferred from the documents on record are noticed hereinbelow:-

Amit Sharma, son of Rajinder Sharma, President of Gau Raksha Dal, set the criminal law in motion by filing a complaint pointing therein that he along with other persons, who are residents of Village Burail, Chandigarh received an information that Noor Mohammad (present petitioner), son of Mohmood, r/o House No.673, Sector 45-C, Burial, Chandigarh is supplying ‘Beef’ on Activa bearing registration No. CH01-CK-1142. Immediately thereafter, he (C) along with others rushed to the disclosed site where they noticed petitioner standing in front of shop of Sahib Traders. Activa, as disclosed by secret informant, was also parked near the petitioner. It is the case of prosecution that 50 kgs of Beef was found in the said vehicle. Complainant further pointed out that ‘Cow’ is a sacred animal of Hindu Community, their religious sentiments are attached to it and that this misdeed on the part of petitioner has hurt their feelings. Immediately, after the police received the information they arrived at the spot. The person, who was found standing next to ‘Activa’ introduced himself as Noor Mohammad (petitioner), son of Mohmood. When questioned, petitioner came up with the plea that it was a Buffalo meat and that he had purchased the same against two bills allegedly issued by CML, Buffalo Calf Meat (Regd. Govt. of India) B- 10/772, Ward No.10, Kamal Cinema Raod, Malerkotla, District Sangrur (Punjab)

and Shop No.2, Meat Market, Saharanpur (U.P.).

Initially, a case u/s 299 BNS was registered vide FIR No.106 dated

19.07.2025 against the petitioner, who was granted the concession of bail. Sample of the meat was taken into possession by the police authorities, which was sent to National Meat Research Institute Chengicherla, Hyderabad. As per report, the meat was identified as “Bos indicus (Bull/Ox)”. Thereafter, Section 8 of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955, was added. Petitioner was again served with a notice but he did not join the investigations.

3. Apprehending his arrest, present petitioner had moved an application for grant of pre-arrest bail. The same was dismissed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Chandigarh, in terms of order dated 15.12.2025. Aggrieved of which, the present petition has been filed.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner, aged about 62 years, has been falsely implicated in the present case. He (P) was under the genuine impression that the meat purchased by him (vide two receipts referred above) was that of ‘Buffalo’. The sellers did not disclose that it was Beef. Relying totally upon their assurance, he had purchased the same.

The next leg of submission raised by learned counsel for the petitioner is that the incident did not occur as portrayed by prosecution. In fact, one Noni, resident of Sector 45-C, Chandigarh and his companion are habitual of collecting money from street vendors. These two persons demanded money from petitioner, when he refused, he was falsely implicated in the present case by levelling baseless allegations.

Learned counsel further submits that since noth