A video showing several packed boxes is being shared on the internet to claim that around 14,000 kilograms of dog meat was recently brought into Karnataka's Bengaluru.
What do viral posts say?: An X (formerly Twitter) premium user shared the video with a caption that said, "14 Tons = 14,000 KGs of dog meat brought into Bangalore to supply to all hotels. Culprit is Abdul Razak who is caught here red handedly. He is from CONgress party or CONgress supporter."
You can view an archive of the post here.
(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)
When this report, the video had recorded a viewership of over eight lakhs on the platform. (More archives of similar claims can be found here, here, and here.)
What are the facts?: The boxes carried sheep meat and not dog as claimed on social media platforms.
Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, too, clarified on his official X handle that an investigation found that the said meat originated from sheep.
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News reports: We searched on Google with the words "dog meat bengaluru" and came across a news report published in The Hindu.
It said that First Information Reports (FIR) were filed against former MP Pratap Simha, cow vigilante Puneeth Kerehalli, and others by the Basaveshwaranagar police.
The duo were booked under "preventing police personnel from discharging their duties" and "unlawful assembly."
This came after Kerehalli and several other people had protested at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna City Railway Station on 26 July alleging that dog meat was being smuggled from Rajasthan.
The report mentioned that 90 insulated boxes carrying around 2,700 kg of meat had arrived from Rajasthan's Jaipur.
These boxes were inspected and samples were sent to the food laboratory for analysis.
Food Safety Commissioner K Srinivas confirmed that the analysis showed the said meat was of sheep and not dogs.
The report was published on 31 July.
(Source: The Hindu/Screenshot)
An Indian Express report added that Simha and others had protested in front of the Basaveshwaranagar police while alleging that Kerhealli was tortured in police custody.
It mentioned that the consignment that was intercepted belonged to one Abdul Razaak, who had sourced the meat from Rajasthan.
The report further carried a post from Rao, where he urged people to refrain from spreading misinformation.
What did Rao say?: Taking to his official X handle on 31 July, the Health Minister said around 84 parcels were sent to the ICAR-National Meat Research Institute in Hyderabad.
He added, "After meticulous testing, the lab results have conclusively confirmed that the meat in question originates from sheep."
The post also carried a press note from the Food Safety and Standard Authority Commissionerate as well as the lab report.
Statement from the Commissioner of Food Safety: As per a report published in Economic Times, K Srinivas said that the meat was of a special breed of goat named Sirohi that is largely found in areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
The commissioner further said, "They [Sirohi] also have a slightly elongated tail and spots on them. Hence, people could easily confuse them for a dog. There were no signs of dog meat in the samples. Due to short supply of mutton and chevon, some traders source it from other states and sell it here at an affordable price."
Conclusion: It is clear that the claim of thousands of kilograms of dog meat being found in Bengaluru, Karnataka is false.
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