Mumbai: Police in Maharashtra will soon be provided with portable cow meat detection kits that will instantly confirm whether any meat seized from businesses or individuals is actually beef.

The state government hopes these portable kits will be a boon for maintenance of law and order, amid violent attacks by cow vigilantes — or so-called cow protectors — against anyone suspected to be in possession of cow meat.

Under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, the slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks is banned in the state and carries severe punishment.

“We have already tested the kit, which will be launched in a month’s time,” K.V. Kulkarni, Director, Maharashtra Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), told Gulf News.

The cow meat testing kits have come from a manufacturer in Hyderabad.

“In fact, S.P. Yadav, Director General (legal and technical), Maharashtra Police, was keen on such a kit that would give an on-the-spot report on whether a meat consignment is beef or not. This would solve a lot of problems,” Kulkarni said.

The kit can detect proteins in cow meat and give a positive reaction, with an indicator showing a change in the colour.

About 100 police personnel will be trained to operate the kits, officials said.

“Presently, our lab has certified the kit and soon 45 such portable ones will be distributed to all the districts in the state where it will be carried in mobile vans to conduct tests.”

He said the lab gets around 100 samples a month, and takes considerable time to give results, but this device will minimise the numbers since only those meat samples which have been found to be positive will be sent to the forensic lab.

“If the initial test shows that the meat is that of a cow, we will conduct a DNA test in the lab and give the final report. The police can file a First Information Report only after the Lab confirms that it is cow, bullock or buffalo meat.”

Until now DNA testing was available only in Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune but soon the FSLs in Aurangabad and Nashik will also get this facility, he added.

The beef ban in the state, like in many parts of India, has brought on additional problems to the police of checking if any meat served in a restaurant or being transported is meat. Just four days back, the Mumbai Police seized 700kg of meat on the suspicion of it being beef in suburban Govandi and went on to detain the tempo driver and cleaner. The meat had been brought from Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district for sale and the police, on a tip off, seized the meat and sent it to the FSL in Kalina for testing, said a police official. It will take a few days for the outcome of the report.