The Supreme Court on Friday criticized the Assam government for pursuing a case against a man accused of transporting beef, remarking that the state "should have better things to do" than chasing such cases.

A bench comprising Justices A. S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan stayed the criminal proceedings against the accused and scheduled the next hearing for April 16.

The comment came after the Assam government informed the court that a sample of the seized meat had been sent to a forensic lab for testing. The state’s counsel stated that the transportation was intercepted, and the driver failed to clarify the nature of the product.

“The meat was then sent for forensic examination,” the counsel submitted.

The bench observed that distinguishing between packaged raw meat of different animals requires expert knowledge, and a layperson cannot be expected to determine it merely by sight. The accused’s counsel argued that his client, a warehouse owner, had only transported the packaged meat and had no knowledge of its contents.

Citing Section 8 of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, the court noted that the provision applies only if the accused had prior knowledge that the meat being transported was beef. However, the state's counsel contended that the accused was involved in packaging and selling the meat.

The bench stayed the proceedings and posted the matter for hearing in April.