Meerut: The Uttar Pradesh Police has tightened the noose on former minister Haji Yakub Ali, arrested in illegal meat processing case earlier this year, by designating him in Gang D 144, sources said. Apart from former minister Yakub, his sons Firoz and Imran, wife Sanjeeda Begum alias Samjeeda, Faizab, a resident of Ghosipur, Mujeeb, a resident of Narheda village and Mohit Tyagi, resident of Shastrinagar, have also been included in this gang, SSP Meerut Rohit Singh Sajwan said.
The SSP said that Yakub Qureshi, a resident of Teliyan Sarai Bahlim of Meerut, has committed illegal trade of meat “and other heinous crimes to take economic and material benefits by forming a gang with his associates”. It can be recalled that in Mar. last year, police raided the meat processing factory 'Al Faheem Meatex Pvt Ltd' owned by Haji Yakub Ali in Meerut.
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Police said that Yakub was involved in illegal packing of meat. A case was registered against 17 people including Yakub and his wife, two sons at Kharkhoda police station. Following the case, Yakub went absconding with his family. The police first arrested one of Yakub's sons after which Yakub was arrested too along with the other son.
The accused trio was first lodged in Meerut jail together and were later shifted from Chaudhary Charan Singh District Jail to different jails in Purvanchal. However, both of Yakub's sons are out on bail. In the 1980s, Yakub used to sell lemons on the streets of Meerut. Yakub entered politics in 2002 and became MLA from BSP.
Yakub became a minister during the BSP regime. In Mar. this year, Meerut police had made public the details of Yakub's "illegally acquired property" worth Rs 31.70 crore.