The Rameshwaram Cafe, a leading south Indian restaurant chain, has filed a complaint with the police against a group of people alleging a conspiracy using a fabricated video to malign its reputation.
The cafe stated that they allegedly staged a false incident of food contamination at its Bengaluru airport outlet to extort money. The incident took place on Thursday, when a customer had alleged that a worm was found inside his meal that was sreved to him at the said outlet of the cafe.
The customer also shared a purported video of the worm in his food which quickly went viral across social media platforms, garnering huge viewership and comments. While some expressed shock calling action, for others it came as an unbelievable incident given the popularity and reputation of the restaurant chain.
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Reacting to the rising controversy, The Rameshwaram Cafe issued a statement saying that a group of five to seven individuals created a public disturbance, falsely alleging that the food served contained an insect.
The cafe alleged that they demanded compensation, failing which they threatened to circulate the video on social media. The accused allegedly demanded an extortion money of Rs 25 lakh in the name of compensation, as claimed by the restaurant management.
The popular restaurant said, "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".
"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," the statement read.
Divya Raghav, the founder of The Rameshwaram Cafe, outrightly denied the accusation of the presence of a worm or insect in their served food.