Customer lodges complaint suspecting beef was served instead of mutton, meat sample sent for testing

A customer has filed a police complaint against a restaurant in the Jagatpur area of Cuttack district after suspecting that beef was served to him instead of the mutton he had ordered, officials said on Thursday.

Smruti Ranjan Mohanty was having lunch with his family at the restaurant on Wednesday when he allegedly noticed a different taste and a red-coloured bone in the mutton curry, which made him suspect that it was not mutton.

Mohanty said he questioned the restaurant staff about the difference in the curry. The employees told him that vinegar was used to properly boil a large quantity of mutton, which had caused the meat to turn slightly reddish, he said. 

"When I asked the restaurant staff about the difference in the mutton curry, the employees replied that they used vinegar to properly boil huge quantity of mutton. So, that's why the colour became a little reddish," Mohanty said.

Not satisfied with the explanation, Mohanty approached Jagatpur police station and lodged a complaint. "I just want to know whether I took mutton or any other meat," he said.

Police registered an FIR after receiving the complaint and began an investigation.

A police officer said the meat was seized and examined by a veterinary doctor. A sample was subsequently sent to a laboratory for testing, and further action will be taken after the report is received.

Arun Kumar Swain, ACP Cuttack (Zone-1), said police reached the restaurant after receiving the complaint and found some Bajrang Dal activists at the spot. "We seized the mutton and sent it for testing," he said.  (with inputs from PTI)