UP STF arrests Halal Council of India members for unauthorized Halal business

On 12th February, Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF), investigating a matter linked to halal certification, arrested four members of the Mumbai-based Halal Council of India for issuing fake certificates.

Notably, an FIR was registered in November 2023 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, against three firms, including the Halal Council of India, for issuing illegal Halal certificates for the products sold in the state. A few days after the FIR, the matter was transferred for investigation to STF from Lucknow Police.

UP STF ने अवैध रूप से हलाल प्रमाण पत्र जारी कर विभिन्न कम्पनियों से अवैध वसूली करने वाली संस्था हलाल काउंसिल ऑफ़ इंडिया के 4 सदस्य को किया गिरफ़्तार, जाँच मे पता चला है की काउंसिल प्रति certificate 10 हज़ार रूपए वसूलती थी और उसे ये करने का क़ोई अधिकार भी नहीं था pic.twitter.com/wqVc1cBjBc

— Raajeev Chopra (@Raajeev_Chopra) February 12, 2024

The four members of the Halal Council of India have been identified as its president, Maulana Habib Yusuf Patel, vice-president Maulana Moidsheer Sapadia, general secretary Mohammad Tahir Zakir Hussain Chauhan, and treasurer Mohammad Anwar. The investigating team recovered documents, including Aadhar cards, debit cards, PAN cards, phones, and cash from their possession. They were arrested after questioning at their office in Lucknow.

The police said in a statement that the accused said during questioning that they had provided “halal certificates” to several companies in the state. The firm has been accused of issuing illegal halal certificates for meat and non-meat products. Notably, the police said the Halal Council of India is not authorised by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies or any other government agency. The police said, “The arrested individuals confessed to their actions during interrogation. No lab testing was conducted for issuing certificates. Certificates were issued for restaurants despite no control over their food preparation processes. Financial records regarding income and expenditure were unclear.”

The firm was charging an annual fee of Rs 10,000 for certification and Rs 1,000 per product from its “clients”. Interestingly, the certification was issued without any testing or verification of production process.

Source: OpIndia