- By Priyanka Koul
- Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:33 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in London, Benares, with Indian origins, has admitted in court to spiking a woman's drink after inviting her to an exclusive members' club. Vikas Nath, 63, claimed his motive was to help her "relax," but prosecutors argue that he spiked her drink with the intention of incapacitating her.
Nath, who faces allegations of drugging a woman's drink with a date-rape substance at a high-end club in central London, admitted his actions but described them as "wrong."
The court was told that on 15 January 2024, Nath used a straw to add gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) to the woman's drink while she briefly stepped away from the table at Annabel's, a prestigious Mayfair club. Nath, who runs a number of restaurants, including two Michelin-starred establishments, admitted to spiking the woman's margarita, but insisted that it was only to "calm" her, rather than with any intention to assault her, as prosecutors suggested.
Footage from the club's CCTV showed Nath secretly adding the drug to the woman’s drink while she left the table for a short time.
During his testimony on Wednesday, Nath acknowledged his wrongdoing, stating, "What I did was wrong, and I deeply regret it." However, he denied any intent to "stupefy and overpower" the woman.
Nath explained that he had mistakenly mixed the substance, which he believed to be cleaning fluid, with tequila and put it in her drink to help her "relax." He added that he had used the substance before, believing it enhanced the effects of alcohol.
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The court also heard that the woman and Nath had met several times before the events of 15 January 2024, usually for lunch. She testified that she had met him five or six times prior to the incident, and that he always seemed genuinely concerned about her well-being, often inviting her for drinks.
On the night in question, staff at Annabel’s noticed unusual behaviour from Nath, who was sitting alone at the table. They saw him using a straw to extract liquid from a bottle he appeared to be concealing, which he then dripped into the woman’s drink. After notifying managers, the staff replaced her drink and later informed her that it had been spiked. The incident was subsequently reported to the police.
Prosecutor Tim Clark told the court that Nath had attempted to destroy evidence before police arrived. "Before the police showed up, Nath clearly realised he had been caught. He tried to dispose of the evidence by throwing the small bottle into the toilet, where it was later retrieved by the police," Clark explained, according to BBC report.
Jurors were also shown text messages Nath had sent to friends in the weeks leading up to the incident.
In one message, Nath said, “I want to get laid, not hold hands." In another, he referred to the woman as "eminently f***able" and mentioned needing to "play the long game." On the day of the incident, he messaged a friend saying, "I’m at Annabel’s. This is probably the last evening with her. She ain’t biting."
Prosecutors argued that these messages revealed Nath's frustration with the woman’s unwillingness to engage in sexual activity, which led him to drug her when his advances were unsuccessful. "These were not casual remarks," the prosecution told the jury. "They demonstrate motive, intent, and planning."
The woman testified that, at first, she found the accusations hard to believe and defended Nath. "I remember defending Mr Nath, saying, ‘There is no way he could do that.’ I sent him a message saying, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s happening.’ I felt it was my fault. I didn’t want him to get into trouble, and I didn’t believe it at first," she said.
The trial is still ongoing.