Kanpur Violence: Accused's 'Baba Biryani' Fails Food Safety Test; 6 Shops Sealed

Mukhtar Baba was arrested by the SIT last week in connection with the 3 June violence.

All the samples taken by the FDA have failed the test report.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, 27 June, took food samples from all outlets of Kanpur’s famous establishment ‘Baba Biryani’ owned by Mukhtar Baba, who has been accused of funding the 3 June Kanpur violence.

All the samples taken by the FDA have failed the test report. The action was taken on the orders of Kanpur District Magistrate (DM) Vishakh G Iyer.

Baba is a close aide of Zafar Hashmi who is the main accused in the conspiracy. Baba was arrested by Kanpur Special Investigative Team (SIT) last week in connection with the violence. The police had also arrested Hashmi in the case.

Officials of the Department of FDA said,

“The food served in the establishments of Baba Biryani has been found unsafe in the investigation report. The food being served at the outlets is extremely dangerous.”

Food 'Unsafe for Consumption': DM Kanpur

Meanwhile, the DM said that food samples were sent to a laboratory in Agra where they were deemed unsafe for consumption.

He said, “Six shops of Baba Biryani operating in the name of 'Baba Sweets' have been sealed. The licenses of all these shops are being cancelled.”

Search will be conducted at all the locations of Baba Sweets in the city and samples will be sent for examination, he said.

He said, “Action will be taken on the basis of the test report of the samples.”

Kanpur Violence

The 3 June violence broke out in Pared, Nai Sadak, and Yateemkhana areas of Kanpur, as members of two communities pelted stones and hurled bombs in an attempt to close shops in protest against "insulting" comments about Prophet Mohammad by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

The police has arrested a total of 424 people from different areas of UP so far in connection with the violence.