In Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, the police arrested two individuals accused of selling rotten meat and expired food items. The arrests were part of an ongoing crackdown on the illegal sale of unhygienic and unsafe food products. Over the past several weeks, authorities have already seized more than 5,000 kilograms of rotten meat across the region, exposing a disturbing food scandal that has shaken the valley.
According to a police spokesman, two FIRs have been registered against stockists and food sale points involved in storing and distributing contaminated mutton and expired eatables. Acting on a tip-off, a special team from Safapora police station, accompanied by the district food safety officer and an executive magistrate, conducted a raid in the Kondabal Safapora area. The shop in question, owned by Abdul Hameed Lone, was found stocked with large quantities of boiled meat items, including kebabs and ristas (meatballs). These were discovered in rotten, frozen, and unhygienic conditions, making them extremely unfit for human consumption. The accused was taken into custody, and investigations are currently underway.
In another case, police discovered that the owner of Hotel Matamal Food Sale Point in the Beehama locality was using expired food products in meal preparation. Upon receiving this information, the police carried out a raid and recovered large quantities of expired food items from the hotel’s kitchen. The establishment’s owner was immediately arrested, and a formal case was filed against him.
Similar operations were conducted across other districts in the valley. In Budgam, police, along with the Charar-i-Sharief food safety officer, carried out extensive inspections in Pakherpora, where multiple violations of food safety and hygiene rules were identified. Two restaurants—New Arabian Nights and Shahi Darbar—were found guilty of selling rotten meat and operating under unhygienic conditions. FIRs were filed, and fines were imposed on several other restaurant owners and food business operators for various violations.
The crackdown extended to Shopian district, where inspections revealed widespread violations in several establishments, including Hotel Tabish, Fish Shop Bongam, Restaurant Hungary Hills, Brand Habibi in Zainapora, Sofi Bakers in Imamsahib, and a vegetable and fruit shop in Keller. Six FIRs were lodged against these businesses for gross violations of health and hygiene standards.
In Pulwama’s Awantipora area, inspections exposed unhygienic practices in several restaurants, including Amritsar Haveli Lethpora, Abdullah Restaurant Lethpora, Clock Towers Awantipora, and Black Pearl Awantipora. In addition, Red Sauce Restaurant in Kachkoot was booked under an FIR for engaging in practices that posed a severe risk to public health.
The campaign against unhygienic food extended to Kulgam as well, where multiple hotels, restaurants, and fruit and vegetable vendors were fined for serious lapses in hygiene and safety standards. Authorities confirmed that several FIRs have also been filed against violators whose practices were deemed a direct threat to the health of the public.
This sweeping crackdown by the Jammu and Kashmir police underscores the growing concern about food safety in the valley. By targeting offenders across multiple districts, authorities aim to curb the circulation of expired and unhygienic food items and ensure that the health of citizens is not put at risk by negligent or unscrupulous food business operators.
