Varanasi: Ten meat shop owners near Kashi Vishwanath Temple booked for violating shutdown directive

The Uttar Pradesh Police have booked 10 meat shop owners near Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple for allegedly violating rules banning such establishments within a two-kilometre radius of the temple, The Indian Express reported.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kashi Zone) Gaurav Banswal said that three cases were filed against the ten meat shop owners at the Chowk and Dashashwamedh police stations after a municipal veterinary official filed a complaint.

The shop owners have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged disobedience of a public servant’s order and for mischief by killing or maiming an animal.

The Varanasi Municipal Corporation last year unanimously passed a resolution to ban meat from being sold in a 2-kilometre radius of the temple premises. Earlier this month, the civic body issued notices to 26 meat shops, ordering them to close down as they were allegedly violating the rule.

Meat shop owners, however, claimed that they were being harassed without being provided viable alternative arrangements, according to The Indian Express. One of them, Iqbal Ahmed, questioned why meat sellers were being targeted even though no action was taken against liquor shops functioning within two kilometres of the temple – which was also against the rules.

A delegation of meat shop owners met Mayor Ashok Tiwari, who urged them to identify alternate locations for…

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