The arrests will be challenged in the high court, said Samiullah Khan, a close associate of the detained muftis and a prominent activist.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police has initiated legal action against the Mumbai-based Halal Council of India, resulting in the arrest of its president and other key officials for allegedly extorting money in the name of halal certification.
The arrests were made in Mumbai on Monday. Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Singh led the operation to arrest the council’s president Maulana Habib Yusuf Patel, vice president Maulana Mudassir, general secretary Mufti Tahir Jakar, and treasurer Mufti Anwar Khan Sargiroh, reports reaching here said on Tuesday.
The STF has launched an investigation into the financial transactions of the council, suspecting misappropriation of funds. Authorities allege that the council unlawfully collected money through the issuance of certificates without conducting proper examinations or laboratory testing.
The Uttar Pradesh government has already banned the manufacture, sale, storage, and distribution of halal-certified products in the state.
A case was registered in Lucknow against some organisations, production companies, their owners as well as other unidentified people for extorting money in the name of halal certification, the sources said
According to UP Police investigations, the Halal Council of India was allegedly charging Rs 10,000 for each certificate without proper authorisation.
Criticising the arrests, Samiullah Khan, a close associate of the detained muftis and a prominent activist, pointed out discrepancies in the case. He questioned the rationale behind the arrests of the scholars of the Mumbai-based council by the Uttar Pradesh STF. Khan also raised concerns over the lack of complaints from certificate recipients and accused the STF of bias.
In a statement, Khan announced plans to challenge the arrests in the high court, alleging a violation of constitutional rights and judicial overreach. He highlighted the Supreme Court’s stay on arrests related to halal certification cases and called for a fair investigation into the matter.
As the legal battle unfolds, the case against the Halal Council of India and its officials continues to raise questions about regulatory oversight and the enforcement of certification standards.
