Odisha: Puri authorities shut down roadside eatery amidst beef allegations

The incident came to light after a man, captured during a cattle trafficking operation by vigilantes, claimed in a purported viral video that beef was being supplied to several roadside hotels along National Highway-216, connecting Bhubaneswar and Puri, police added.

Bhubaneswar: The Puri district administration in Odisha has sealed a popular eatery in Satyabadi following allegations that beef was being mixed in mutton curry, officials said on Friday.

The incident came to light after a man, captured during a cattle trafficking operation by vigilantes, claimed in a purported viral video that beef was being supplied to several roadside hotels along National Highway-216, connecting Bhubaneswar and Puri, they added. The video could not be independently verified by PTI.

In the video, the man specifically named one eatery under Sakshigopal police station jurisdiction, a place well-frequented by locals and passersby for its mutton dishes.

Puri district collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said the administration acted swiftly and sealed the eatery in the presence of a magistrate, as the matter was sensitive to the religious sentiments of the people.

"We have taken the incident into cognisance and sealed the eatery and raids were conducted at other places after getting information. The viral video is the primary source of information and it is being verified by the administration," he added.

People named in the video are being questioned and strict action will be taken against those found guilty, the collector said However, the eatery owner denied the allegation and said it was a mischief by his business rivals.