Bengaluru, Jul 24 (PTI) A case was registered on Thursday against a group of individuals for allegedly attempting to malign Rameshwaram Cafe and extort money by staging a false incident of food contamination at its Kempegowda airport outlet.
The Kempegowda international airport police registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by Operations Head of Rameshwaram Cafe.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on the morning of July 24, when a group of five to seven individuals created a public disturbance, falsely alleging that the food served contained an insect.
The individuals then threatened to circulate the video on social media unless they were compensated, added the complaint.
Shortly after, the team received a phone call demanding Rs 25 lakh in cash to avoid reputational harm to the brand, stated the complaint.
Rameshwaram Café management have submitted call records, message screenshots, and other documentation to the police, requesting immediate legal action against the blackmail attempt.
The case was registered under section 308 (2) and 351 (4) of BNS.
According to police, a Zero FIR was registered and the case will be transferred to the relevant jurisdiction, as per the address of the complainant at the earliest.
A Zero FIR can be registered at any police station, regardless of jurisdiction of the area where a crime took place, and later transferred to the appropriate station for investigation.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Divya Raghav, Founder of The Rameshwaram Café, said, “We categorically deny the baseless accusation that a worm or insect was found in our food.” According to her, the safety and hygiene of food preparation in Rameshwaram Cafe are non-negotiable.
“We operate under the strictest quality protocols, especially at sensitive locations like airports, where routine audits and hygiene checks are mandatory. This is clearly a case of a staged act with malicious intent to extort money and malign our brand,” she added.
According to Raghav, there have been similar attempts in the past where in different instances customers have put stones, insects in the food but were caught red-handed.
“We will not succumb to intimidation or blackmail. We are fully cooperating with the authorities and will pursue stringent legal action to ensure such unethical acts are exposed and discouraged,” she added. PTI JR ROH
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