The Delhi Police has registered three FIRs against the owner of a cafe in east Delhi for allegedly overcharging customers, following multiple complaints from victims who claimed that they were lured to the outlet through dating applications, an officer said on Thursday.
He said a number of complaints were received regarding the overbilling of food and beverages at the cafe located in a mall in east Delhi's Anand Vihar area.
"Three FIRs were registered against the cafe owner, leading to the closure of the establishment," the officer added.
According to police sources, the case involves what they described as a "dating conspiracy", in which women were allegedly used as decoys on popular dating applications to target young men. The women would strike up conversations online and persuade the men to meet them at the cafe, the sources said.
"After meeting at the cafe, the victims were served food and drinks that were grossly overpriced. In several instances, the bills ran into unusually-high amounts, far beyond the menu rates or what the customers had anticipated," a source privy to the investigation said.
The source said when some victims objected to the inflated bills or expressed their inability to pay the large amounts, they were allegedly intimidated. In a few cases, the men were also physically assaulted inside or near the cafe, the source added.
Police said the modus operandi appeared to be systematic, with the cafe functioning as a fixed meeting point for such encounters. Investigators are examining call records, dating-application chats and financial transactions to establish the cafe owner's role in the "conspiracy".
The officer said complaints regarding overcharging for food items were received. While some complainants resolved the matter themselves, written complaints were later submitted, following which three FIRs were registered against the cafe owner and the cafe was closed.
"The investigation is focussed on identifying all persons linked to the operation, including those who acted as decoys and staff members who facilitated the overcharging," the officer added.
Following the registration of the FIRs, the cafe was sealed and further business activities were stopped. Police said they are also coordinating with civic authorities in connection with the case.
"The matter will be pursued with Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials to revoke the Health Trade Licence of the cafe," the officer said, adding that the process for the cancellation of the licence has been initiated.
Meanwhile, the officer also urged citizens to exercise caution while meeting strangers through online platforms and report any suspicious activity immediately.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
