Bengaluru Restaurant Sealed After Police Arrest Two for Beef-as-Mutton Fraud
Two owners of Kayaloram Restaurant in Bengaluru were arrested for allegedly serving beef as mutton. The restaurant has been sealed. Read the full story.
Prajakta Sanjay Warwadkar 
BENGALURU, May 31, 2026 — Bengaluru police arrested two restaurant owners and sealed their establishment after an investigation confirmed that customers were allegedly being served beef while the meat was sold and marketed as mutton, a violation that drew multiple complaints from diners and triggered a police sting operation at the restaurant.
The action was taken against Kayaloram Restaurant, located at the Aisiri Hub complex in Bommenahalli near Budigere Cross, under the Avalahalli police station limits in the outskirts of Bengaluru. The restaurant had been operating for approximately 18 months before the arrests.
Kayaloram Restaurant Bengaluru: How the Alleged Fraud Came to Light
The case began when a group of customers visited the restaurant, ordered mutton dishes and suspected that the meat served to them was not mutton. Based on differences in the taste and texture of the meat, the customers questioned the restaurant's staff before contacting the Avalahalli police.
Police said that after receiving multiple complaints from customers making similar allegations, they deployed a plainclothes officer to the restaurant to independently verify the claims. The undercover officer posed as a customer and purchased dishes listed on the menu as mutton. The meat samples were then examined with the assistance of officials from the animal husbandry and veterinary sciences department.
Preliminary examination indicated that the meat was beef. Laboratory analysis subsequently confirmed that finding. Beef did not appear anywhere on the restaurant's menu, and the establishment had not disclosed to customers that beef was being served.
Two Arrested, Third Accused Absconding
Following the confirmation of the laboratory results, police registered a suo motu FIR, sealed the restaurant and arrested two of its owners. The arrested have been identified as Jijoo Alexander, 45, and Shibu KB, 43, both natives of Kerala. Police said the two were residing in Bengaluru. Both were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody, after which they were transferred to a central prison.
The accused were booked under the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020. Police also identified a third business partner, named Abhilash, who is currently absconding. A search operation has been launched to trace and apprehend him.
Investigation Focuses on Procurement Records and Wider Supply Chain
Officials suspect that the accused resorted to the practice in an attempt to increase profits by using cheaper meat while charging customers for mutton dishes. The investigation is focused on identifying the source of the meat and determining whether the alleged substitution had been carried out over the restaurant's full 18-month operating period.
Police are also examining whether other employees of the restaurant were aware of the alleged fraud and whether any wider network was involved in supplying the meat to the establishment. Procurement records and additional food samples are being reviewed as part of the continuing investigation.
The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, prohibits the slaughter of cattle including cows, bulls and bullocks in the state of Karnataka. Violations under the Act carry criminal penalties including imprisonment and fines.
Case Raises Wider Food Safety Concerns in Karnataka
The incident has prompted authorities to urge consumers across Karnataka to report any suspected cases of food misrepresentation or food safety violations. Officials said strict monitoring of food establishments remains essential to ensure that customers receive accurately described products and are not misled about the contents of the food they purchase.
Bengaluru has seen previous incidents of alleged meat adulteration and misrepresentation at restaurants, each of which has drawn public attention to the gap between what restaurants list on their menus and what is served at the table. The Kayaloram case adds to that history and has renewed calls for more consistent inspections of food service establishments across the city.
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