A worm was allegedly found in a dish served to a customer at an outlet of The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru airport on Thursday morning. The popular restaurant chain, however, denied the allegation and filed a police complaint that the incident was staged to extort Rs 25 lakh from the brand.
The customer alleged the worm was found inside the pongal that he ordered for breakfast. The man alleged the cafe staff initially tried to cover up the incident after he raised a complaint.
He said it was only after he began recording a video of the worm inside the food and the staff members' response that they started apologising. The staff later offered a full refund of Rs 300 for the item to the customer.
A purported video of the incident shows the customer highlighting the worm in a spoon of pongal, as he pans the camera partially across the restaurant. He discusses with another customer about the possibility of raising a complaint with the cafe owner via Instagram.
One of the staff members is heard asking if he had spoken in an inappropriate way.
The Rameshwaram Cafe is a Bengaluru-based brand and has a chain of restaurants. It is popular among locals and tourists alike.
In a statement, The Rameshwaram Cafe's management said a group of five-seven individuals created a public disturbance, falsely alleging that the food served contained an insect.
"Reportedly, the individuals then threatened to circulate the video on social media unless they were compensated. Shortly after, the team received a phone call demanding Rs 25 lakhs in cash to avoid reputational harm to the brand," the popular restaurant chain said.
"In response, The Rameshwaram Cafe has submitted call records, message screenshots, and other documentation to the police, requesting immediate legal action against the blackmail attempt," it said in the statement.
In May last year, its outlets in Hyderabad came under the scanner of the Food Safety Department of Telangana after several expired and mislabelled food items were recovered. These included 100 kg of urad dal, which reportedly expired in March 2024, as well as 10 kg of expired curd and 8 litres of expired milk.
