Days after the Haryana Police launched its beef-hunt in birayani in Mewat, a Muslim dominated area of the state, a government veterinary lab has claimed that seven samples collected by the cops contained beef. “We have received seven samples from the Mewat administration and after tests we found the samples positive. Reports of the samples have been sent to the concerned department and to the government,” a spokesperson of the Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences said. These samples were randomly picked up by the police for inspection from Muslim traders across Mewat ahead of Eid.

According to police, a search was initiated after a number of specific complaints about the biryani vendors serving beef.

After the first samples turned out to be positive, the police are likely to widen the search to more areas.

Many road-side vendors however said they are being harassed by police in the name of the search.

Haryana Minister Anil Vij defended the police action claiming that it was their duty.

"They (police) are in charge of implementing the law. It is part of their duty to check that beef is not consumed, as it is illegal in India," Vij told NDTV.

Cow slaughter and consumption of meat is a criminal offence in Haryana. In March, the government enforced Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gau Samvardhan Act 2015 making cow slaughter punishable with rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.