Aslam, currently lodged in jail after his remand ended on Sunday, is accused of illegally operating slaughterhouse activities and flouting norms under the guise of municipal contracts. Investigators say his ascent was gradual, rooted in the animal hide trade, before expanding into slaughterhouse operations and high-value property investments.
According to police findings and statements from his associates, Aslam began his business journey around 1988, purchasing buffalo hides from villages across Sehore, Vidisha, Raisen and Ashta. The hides were transported to West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. His financial position improved significantly after securing the municipal corporation’s contract to collect dead cattle, followed by operational control of the Bhopal slaughterhouse.
Police allege that Aslam’s influence within the municipal corporation was so strong that no rival bidders applied for the slaughterhouse tender. Files seized from the corporation reveal that several approvals and proposals bore signatures of senior officials, including then Additional Commissioner NP Singh, Superintending Engineer Udit Garg and Executive Engineer RK Trivedi. While Singh’s role is under investigation, the other officials are yet to be formally questioned, raising concerns about the scope and pace of the SIT probe.
The case has also revived allegations that Aslam facilitated the settlement of around 250 Rohingya labourers near Makka Masjid in the Jinsi area and arranged fake identity documents for them. A complaint in this regard was filed last year at the Zone-1 DCP office. Police later issued Aslam a clean chit and submitted a report to the National Human Rights Commission.
However, the NHRC rejected the police report in October 2025, pointing out serious investigative lapses. The commission noted that while police termed the allegations baseless, Aslam himself admitted to employing labourers from border states such as West Bengal, Assam and Bihar and housing them on his private property. It also observed that police failed to verify the authenticity of labourers’ identity documents.
During Aslam’s remand, police seized slaughterhouse-related records from 2014-15 onwards and questioned municipal employees, including assistant engineer Saurabh Sood. Officials say further summons to municipal officers are likely as the investigation expands.
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