Mumbai police on Wednesday filed a criminal case against a city-based builder and his employee for allegedly refusing to sell a flat to a youth on the ground that he is a non-vegetarian.

"On the basis of the complaint filed by Vaibhav Rahate, we have booked Rajesh Mehta and his staffer Pankaj Mehta under Section 153(b)(1)(B) of IPC," Malad police station senior inspector Milind Khetle said. The section punishes any imputations or assertions that are prejudicial to national-integration.