LUCKNOW, March 31 -- Acting on complaints about a meat shop operating near Balaji temple in Lucknow's Rajajipuram area during Navratri, civic officials on Sunday sealed the shop and imposed a penalty on the owner for violating government orders.

Lucknow mayor Sushma Kharakwal confirmed the action while talking to HT. On Saturday, the state government had banned sale of meat within 500-metre radius of religious places across Uttar Pradesh during the Navratri festival that started on Sunday.

Despite the state government's clear directive, the shop was found open just 100 metres from the temple, said a Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) press release. On receiving this information, the mayor visited the site and instructed LMC zonal offic...