Houses built on government land by 11 persons were demolished in tribal-dominated Mandla in Madhya Pradesh as part of action against the illegal beef trade in the state, a police official said on Saturday.

The action was taken after a tip off was received that a large number of cows had been held captive for slaughter in Bhainwahi area in Nainpur, Mandla Superintendent of Police Rajat Saklecha told PTI.

"A team was rushed there and we found 150 cows tied in the backyards of the accused. Cow meat was recovered from the refrigerators in the homes of all the 11 accused. We also found animal fat, cattle skin and bones, which were stuffed in a room," he said.

"The local government veterinarian has confirmed the seized meat is beef. We have also sent samples to Hyderabad for secondary DNA analysis. The houses of the11 accused were demolished as they were on government land," the SP said.

The SP said an FIR was registered on Friday night following the recovery of the cows and beef, adding that one of the accused has been arrested while a hunt was on for the remaining 10.

"The 150 cows have been sent to a cattle shelter. Bhainswahi area had become a hub of cow smuggling for some time now. Cow slaughter in MP is punishable with a jail term of seven years," Saklecha added.

Police sources said criminal history of two of the accused has been gathered and the process was on to find out about the antecedents of the remaining persons. All the accused are Muslims, they added.

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