Chandigarh, Aug 19 (IANS) Punjab has been declared as "controlled area" after the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, confirmed African swine fever in swine samples from the state's Patiala, Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said on Friday.
He said a notification has been issued and came into force with immediately.
The minister said Bilaspur and Sanauri Adda villages in Patiala district were notified as the epicentre of the disease.
Bhullar said these areas have been declared "infected zone" (0-1 km area around epicenter of disease) and "surveillance zone" (1-10 km area around epicenter of disease).
Accordingly, no live or dead pig, including feral or wild pigs, unprocessed pig meat, feed or any material or goods from the piggery farm or backyard piggery shall be taken out of or brought into the infected zone and no person shall bring or attempt to bring into market any pig or pig products which is known to be infected with the scheduled disease.
The minister, quoting the notification, said inter-state movement of any pig or products should be strictly banned.
The identity of the two accused shooters -- Santosh Yadav and Nav Nath Suryawanshi -- was revealed during the interrogation of their close aide, Sidhesh Hiraman Kamle a.k.a. Mahakaal, who was arrested from Pune during a joint operation by the Delhi Police and the Maharashtra Police.
The Mumbai Police had also suspected the possible involvement of the Bishnoi gang, and as a precaution, beefed up security at the Khans' residence in Galaxy Apartments, Bandra West, since last Sunday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it received an email from Punjab Police with an attached letter of May 19 about Brar only on May 30, a day after Moosewala was shot dead.
Murder of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, allegedly on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, took place on May 29, 2022. Goldy Brar is a prime accused in the case. He has been accused of hiring gangsters to eliminate Moosewala.
The official informed that they received a call about the fire incident around 5.00 a.m. at the Main Tikona Park, Jamia Nagar in South-East Delhi after which as many as 11 fire tenders were immediately pressed into service. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
The BSF is interrogating the arrested smugglers. This is the second major incident of drugs being caught on the border in the last one week. Earlier also drug was dropped into India by using drones.
