Three shops selling meat set ablaze in Uttar Pradesh

HATHRAS (UP): Three shops selling meat and fish were set afire by unidentified persons here, triggering panic in the area, police said today.

The incident comes close on the heels of some slaughter houses being sealed in Uttar Pradesh after the BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath was sworn in.

Police said the arson incident took place in Manyawar Kanshiram Colony last night. The shop owners said all their stock was charred in the fire.

Superintendent of Police, Hathras, Dilip Kumar Srivastava, said, "Unidentified persons set ablaze three shops selling fish and meat. FIR has been registered against them."

Sub-divisional magistrate (Hathras Sadar) Rakesh Gupta later met the aggrieved shop owners and heard their grievances.

The BJP had announced in its manifesto that it would take "stern steps to close down all illegal slaughterhouses besides banning mechanised slaughterhouses" if it comes to power.

Yesterday, a slaughterhouse, which was allegedly being run illegally, was sealed by the district authorities in Kamalgadaha locality.

Officials claimed, that the slaughterhouse had been shutdown in 2012, but it continued to operate in a clandestine manner.

The Ghaziabad Police had yesterday sealed 10 meat shops and four slaughterhouses which were allegedly running illegally in the city.