Silchar: The district administration in Karimganj, southern Assam, has sealed a hotel and restaurant for allegedly serving beef to a customer. The establishment, Hindustan Hotel and Restaurant, is located in Cheragi, Patharkandi along National Highway 8 (Assam-Tripura road), about 80 km from Silchar.
According to sources, Ratabari resident Surajit Sinha, accompanied by two friends from a different community, visited the hotel around 12:15 am on Saturday night while returning from Badarpur. Surajit ordered chicken dishes but was allegedly served beef instead.
After consuming some of the food, Surajit grew suspicious and discussed the matter with his friends, who confirmed his suspicions that the meat was beef. This led to a confrontation with the hotel staff, and during the altercation, one of the hotel staff allegedly attempted to attack Surajit. Following this, he contacted the Patharkandi police, who arrived at the scene and took both Surajit and the hotel owner to the police station.
By Sunday morning, news of the incident spread quickly, leading to protests from various Hindu organizations outside the Patharkandi police station. The protesters demanded strict action against the hotel, accusing the management of deliberately keeping photos of Hindu deities to attract Hindu customers and then serving them beef. They further alleged that similar practices were happening in other hotels in the area.
Surajit officially lodged a complaint with the police, prompting district authorities to intervene. On Monday, following the orders of District Commissioner Pradip Kumar Dwivedi, a team from the administration visited the hotel and sealed it. In addition to sealing the establishment, four individuals – identified as Alif Hussain, Riyaz Uddin, Salim Ahmed, and Hasan Ahmed – were detained in connection with the incident. Legal proceedings are underway.
Speaking to EastMojo, Patharkandi BJP MLA Krishnendu Paul condemned the incident and called for stern action against the hotel. “Such incidents have the potential to create unrest. Authorities must take this matter seriously and initiate appropriate measures,” Paul stated.
It is important to note that, under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, the sale of beef is prohibited in areas predominantly inhabited by non-beef consuming communities and within a 5-km radius of temples and Vaishnav monasteries, or “satras.” Several temples are located within two to three kilometres of the hotel in question.
Further developments are awaited as the investigation continues.
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