"The order is not that they should shut shop at 2 pm, but that they cannot sell unrefrigerated meat after 8 hours from butchering the animal. At the time of applying for licence, the owners have themselves certified that the meat (beef or mutton) is generally butchered at 4 am. 2 pm is not the curfew here, but the 8 hour is. They can operate after 2 pm also for 8 hours. And for those stalls that have proper freezer facilities, they can sell the meat at any time of the day," Dr Gopakumar said.