BENGALURU — The owners of Rameshwaram Cafe and a senior executive have been booked in a police case after a passenger claimed he found a worm in his meal at the café’s outlet inside Kempegowda International Airport (Terminal 1) — and was then allegedly falsely accused of extortion.
🧾 What Happened
On 24 July 2025, a 19-year-old passenger, identified as Nikhil N., visited the cafe at Bengaluru airport to buy breakfast — ordering ven pongal and filter coffee. He claimed to have discovered a “super-worm” in his food. He alerted the staff, who offered to replace the dish, but he declined because he was rushing to board his flight. Several other customers present reportedly captured photos and videos of the worm.
After the incident, the next day media reports surfaced saying the café had filed a complaint against Nikhil — accusing him of threatening the café’s reputation and demanding ₹ 25 lakh.
Nikhil denied any such extortion attempt, producing his boarding pass and flight records showing he was already airborne at the time mentioned in the café’s complaint. He asserted that he had not asked for any money or made any threats.
🔎 Legal Action and Charges
Following Nikhil’s counter-complaint, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on 29 November at the BIAL police station. The FIR names the café’s proprietors Raghavendra Rao, Divya Raghavendra Rao, and a senior executive Sumanth Lakshminarayan. They have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of criminal conspiracy, selling noxious food or drink, providing false information, fabricating false evidence, and adulteration of food or drink.
Police statements say the investigation is ongoing.
🎯 Significance & Concerns
- The case raises serious questions about hygiene and food-safety standards at high-traffic public eateries — especially those located in busy transit hubs such as airports.
- It also flags a troubling allegation: that after a customer reported a safety issue, the café attempted to deflect blame by filing a false extortion complaint — potentially intimidating the complainant and misusing legal processes.
- The swift registration of an FIR against the café owners indicates that authorities are treating the matter seriously.
📰 What’s Next
As investigations continue, authorities will likely examine CCTV footage, flight records, and other evidence to verify the timeline and claims. The case could set a precedent for stricter scrutiny of food hygiene in airport outlets and possibly lead to repercussions for the café if found guilty.
If you like — I can also write a short Hindi summary of this story (for quicker reading).