NOIDA: Tension prevailed in Gejha village in Sector 93 after the head of an ox was found in a garbage pit and its other body parts strewn around on Thursday. Shopowners soon downed their shutters as vigilante groups sprung into action. Later, seven meat shopowners and their employees were arrested for their alleged involvement in the killing of the animal. Eight meat shops were also sealed, including some which do not have a valid licence to sell meat.According to sources, villagers started gathering at the spot around 9am when a member a local outfit apparently spotted the head of an ox and its leg lying together while its other body parts at a different spot. The body parts were strewn in a 10 sq metre area, villagers said. However, the flesh and skin of the animal were missing, leading to the villagers blaming the neighbouring meat shop owners of deliberately killing the animal and selling its flesh.The vigilante groups informed police about the incident around 10am. The police soon arrived at the spot but as the crowd got aggressive, they asked the meat shops in the area to shut. As many as six SHOs, two circle officers and SP (city) Arun Kumar Singh too arrived at the spot.As villagers started a protest, owners and workers of nearly 20 shops, including the meat shops and a few car repair shops, fled the spot after shutting down their units.Fakkru, a car repair shop owner, told TOI that his workers fled the spot leaving the keys of his shop with a neighbouring shopowner and without informing him.Meanwhile, the police arrested seven meat shop owners and their employees on the basis of a complaint from a member of the International Hindu Sena, Abhishek Tyagi, who the outfit claims, first saw the body parts of the ox. Fareed, Mohammed Rehaan, Ghookram, Mainuddin, Rashid, Dilwar, Gulab and a few unidentified persons have been booked under sections 3, 5A and 8 of the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act.Eight meat/fish shops were sealed by the food safety and drug administration (FSDA) department, including those that did not have a license to sell meat/chicken.Swetabh Pandey, circle officer III, said that since the flesh of the animal was missing, “it was likely that the butchers were involved in the act.”Sanjay Sharma, designated officer, FSDA, told TOI that while some of the shops have licenses, other don’t.Bijay Biswas, one of the shop-keepers whose fish shop was sealed, told TOI that he has been running the shop for the past seven years. “I have applied for a license. We don't indulge in such acts. Even the other shops here don’t sell beef. The matter should be investigated to know who is behind this extremely mischievous act,” he told TOI.

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