Beef row: Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta detained

Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta was today detained by Delhi Police for allegedly making a false complaint that beef was being served at the Kerala house canteen here.

DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal said that Vishnu Gupta is being questioned but did not disclose any further details.

The development comes a day after a major row erupted when Delhi police entered the Kerala House acting on the complaint, with a miffed Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy condemning the "raid" as "highly objectionable". The Delhi Police and the Centre also came under attack from chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi had yesterday said that police were contemplating action against the caller, Vishnu Gupta, under IPC Section 182 (false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person).

He added that the PCR call regarding the beef complaint was given priority because it had the potential to disrupt harmony between communities and could have had "disastrous consequences", especially because of the "past record" of the caller, identified as Vishnu Gupta, national president of Hindu Sena.

"The caller was already in police's notice because of his past record," said Bassi, adding that the officials deployed outside Kerala House to keep a watch were instructed to take preventive action in case Vishnu Gupta and his associates were caught doing any "mischief".