Kanpur eatery under lens after protest over alleged meat mixing in vegetarian meals

Kanpur: The food safety department on Thursday collected three samples of food items from a 'dhaba' (eatery) in Saket Nagar here after members of the Bajrang Dal protested alleging that non-vegetarian ingredients were being mixed into vegetarian dishes, police said.

According to police, the protest was sparked by complaints against the 'Mama Bhanje' restaurant, where it was claimed that dishes such as veg biryani and kebab contained meat.

"Action will only be taken after we receive the forensic examination reports," Additional DCP (South) Manoj Kumar Pandey said.

He said that although the Bajrang Dal members attempted to create a disturbance, police intervened and urged them not to take law into their hands. The protesters demanded an immediate investigation into the allegations.

The additional DCP further said that officials from the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) were involved in the collection of the samples, which will be sent to a forensic science laboratory for examination.

Police have assured that an investigation will commence if the forensic tests validate the claims.

As of now, no FIR has been filed in connection with the incident, the officer added.