The Hyderabad Police on Tuesday resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd that thronged a restaurant in Malakpet allegedly to get free haleem to mark the first day Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. Haleem is a dish made with a combination of lentils, meat, wheat and a blend of spices.
The restaurant's management had decided to give free haleem to the public on the first day of Ramadan, according to news agency ANI.
Visuals shared by news agency PTI showed hundreds of people gathered at the restaurant for free haleem. The restaurant identified in the footage is named 'Aazebo'.
Malakpet inspector U Srinivas said that a case will be registered against the management of the restaurant for disrupting the free movement of traffic, a Times of India report mentioned.
“The hotel management did not inform police in prior about the free offer nor did they take any permission. For creating disturbance to free movement of traffic a case will be registered," the report quoted Srinivas as saying.
The Muslim holy month of Ramzan, when the faithful fast from dawn to dusk, began at sunrise Tuesday in much of Asia, a day after many Muslims in the Middle East began their fasts.
In the Muslim lunar calendar, months begin only when the new moon is sighted, which can lead to variations of a day or two.
