A man in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut allegedly created communal tension after he reportedly placed a bag of meat outside his own house and called police with a false complaint, officials said.
The incident took place on Friday, May 29, in Mavimira village under the Daurala police station area. The accused, identified as Puneet, son of Sensor Pal, informed the police helpline that a bag filled with meat had been found outside his house.
As news spread across the village, local residents gathered near the house, creating panic and tension in the area. Police teams soon arrived at the scene and began an investigation.
Officials also appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid rumours as some villagers expressed anger, briefly disturbing the atmosphere in the locality.
CCTV Footage Revealed What Actually Happened
During the investigation, police checked CCTV footage from the area and found that a 12-year-old boy, identified as Mayank, was passing through the street on a bicycle carrying a sack with several packets of meat.
According to police, one packet of spoiled meat accidentally fell from the bicycle while the boy was taking a turn. Investigators later found that Puneet picked up the packet from the lane and placed it near the main road outside his house before calling the police.
A senior police official said the complaint turned out to be misleading.
“Puneet called the police with false information,” a senior sub-inspector said during the investigation.
Police took the meat bag into custody and buried it in a pit as a precautionary measure to avoid further tension in the village.
Police Warn Accused Against Spreading False Information
After verifying the facts, police warned Puneet against spreading false information that could disturb communal harmony.
“Puneet was instructed not to give false information of this kind,” Meerut Police said in a statement.
Earlier, villagers had feared the incident could create unrest, while authorities increased vigilance to prevent rumours from spreading. Police officials said peace was maintained in the area and no major law-and-order issue was reported.
Initially, local police suspected the bag may have accidentally fallen from a passing vehicle or bike. However, CCTV footage reportedly clarified the sequence of events, exposing the false complaint.
Authorities said strict action could be taken in cases where misleading information is used to create unnecessary panic or social tension.
