Cow protection outfit disrupts presser on serving of beef in Noida restaurants

Six members of a rightwing outfit, Gau Raksha Dal, were arrested on Monday for allegedly creating a ruckus at a press conference organised by an investigative website on serving of beef in some restaurants and hotels, police said.

The news portal was holding a press conference to talk about a sting operation that it had conducted at some restaurants and hotels.

The accused, identified as Kamal Nagar, Ankit, Ved, Rohit Kumar, Ankur and Ravinder, gatecrashed the press conference and shouted slogans against cow slaughter at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Sector 18 on Monday afternoon.

“We received a call about the incident. Our personnel rushed to the spot and apprehended all the accused. They were booked under section 452 (trespassing), 147 (unlawful gathering) and 504 (intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. They will be produced in the court,” said Vijay Dhull, assistant superintendent of police, Noida.

All the accused are residents of Noida and Ghaziabad. According to the police, the accused claimed to be members of ‘Gau Raksha Dal’ and they were found commuting in an SUV with a name plate of their organisation.

“We are investigating the background of the accused. Action will be taken against the persons who have orchestrated the incident,” said Dhull.

Satendra Upadhyay, one of the organisers of the press conference, said, “We were holding a press conference about an investigative story on beef. Suddenly five-six men barged into the venue and forcibly sat in the front row. They insisted that they just wanted to listen what it was all about but they started creating a ruckus following which the police were called.”

A member of the hotel security staff said there was no such ruckus and the security escorted the ‘uninvited guests’ out of the premises. “The accused persons went through the front doors posing as guests. As soon as the organisers got to know about this, they called the police. The police reached here and arrested them,” said a hotel security staff.

A NEWS PORTAL HAD ORAGNISED THE NEWS CONFERENCE TO TALK ABOUT ITS STING OPERATION ON BEEF IN NOIDA RESTAURANTS