Puri: A roadside hotel on NH-216 in Sakhigopal area of Odisha’s Puri district was sealed by the administration today following allegation that it was serving beef disguised as mutton.

The eatery, 'Jaya Hotel', was popular among travellers and locals for its mutton dishes. However, complaints surfaced that beef was being served as mutton, with claims that beef fat was also mixed with mutton before cooking.

Acting on repeated complaints, the district administration and police today took swift action, sealing the hotel and putting up a wire fence around the premises.

Earlier on the day, tension ran high after locals reportedly thrashed a worker at the hotel, who was responsible for delivering meat parcels to other eateries.

To verify the allegations, officials have sent a sample of the seized meat to the State Laboratory at OUAT in Bhubaneswar for testing. The results are awaited.