Rameshwaram Cafe Alleges Extortion Attempt at Bengaluru Airport Outlet Over Fake Insect-in-Food Video; ₹25 Lakh Demanded

Rameshwaram Café filed a police complaint alleging a ₹25 lakh extortion attempt after a group falsely claimed to find an insect in food at its Bengaluru airport outlet. The café says the incident was staged to blackmail the brand.

Bengaluru: The Rameshwaram Cafe has lodged a police complaint after a group of individuals allegedly attempted to extort ₹25 lakh by fabricating a food safety scare at the cafe's Kempegowda International Airport outlet in Bengaluru.

According to the complaint, the incident took place on the morning of July 24, when a group of five to seven individuals created a commotion at the airport location, falsely claiming an insect was found in their meal. The cafe's management said the group then threatened to circulate a video of the incident on social media if they weren’t paid ₹25 lakh to suppress it.

Threat Followed by Extortion Call, Claims Cafe 

Soon after the disruption, the cafe staff reportedly received a phone call in which an unidentified person demanded the sum of ₹25 lakh, threatening to damage the brand’s reputation if the demand was not met. The cafe management has submitted call logs, screenshots of messages, and other documentation to the police as part of the evidence supporting the extortion allegations.

Zero FIR Registered, Case to Be Transferred 

Police have confirmed that a Zero FIR was filed under sections 308(2) and 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Since the crime occurred at the airport, but the complainant’s address falls under a different jurisdiction, the case will be formally transferred for investigation. A Zero FIR allows police stations to register complaints regardless of the location of the offense.

Rameshwaram Café Rejects Food Contamination Allegation

In an official statement, Divya Raghav, the founder of The Rameshwaram Cafe, denied the accusations outright, calling them "baseless" and "malicious." She stressed that the café maintains rigorous food safety standards, especially at high-security locations like airports.

“We categorically deny the baseless accusation that a worm or insect was found in our food,” Raghav said. “This appears to be a deliberate act intended to extort money and defame our brand.”

Raghav further stated that similar threats had been made against the cafe in the past. She assured that the business would not yield to any form of blackmail and was fully cooperating with authorities.

“We will not succumb to intimidation or blackmail,” she asserted. “Our team is working with the police to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.”