Beef trader's licence cancelled by text message; High Court suspends the cancellation
Vizianagaram's municipal corporation cancelled a beef trader's licence with a text message to his phone on 6 June 2025, without notice or reasons. It later said he had not produced receipts showing he bought his beef from a licensed supplier. On 3 July 2025 the High Court suspended the cancellation.
This page records what the cited court records say happened. Findings belong to the court or authority that made them; this register adds none of its own. Names of private individuals are withheld unless a naming gate clears them.
How we verify →Cancellation suspended for four weeks from 3 July 2025; the case was listed for 31 July 2025. We have not located any later order.
What happened
The High Court recorded that the trader's licence was cancelled 'on the basis of a message to the mobile number of the Petitioner on 06.06.2025'. His counsel said no prior notice was issued and no reasons were given.
On written instructions, the corporation's standing counsel told the court that the Municipal Health Officer had reported that the trader 'failed to furnish receipts for procurement of beef from Vizag Foods Private Limited', and that complaints had been received of unauthorised slaughter of cows and buffaloes 'by certain traders' in the Cantonment area.
The court held that because cancelling the licence had civil consequences, the trader should have been given notice first. It suspended the cancellation for four weeks and left the corporation free to issue notice about the complaints.
What the High Court said
“as there are civil consequences for cancellation of the trade license of the Petitioner, this Court is of the opinion that, the Petitioner should have been put on notice before taking any action in this regard.”
W.P. No. 16293 of 2025, order dated 3 July 2025 — read the full text
A livelihood switched off by SMS
Selling beef harms no one who does not choose to buy it. The trader's licence, and with it his business, was cancelled by text message over paperwork about where his meat came from.
What we could not confirm
The order does not say whether the trader himself was accused of slaughtering cattle; the slaughter complaints it mentions concern 'certain traders' in the area. More recent 2026 cattle cases in the state were not used for this category because they also charge cruelty to animals during transport.