Worms in the food? Rameshwaram Cafe says it was a Rs 25 lakh extortion set-up

A criminal case has been registered against a group of individuals accused of trying to extort ₹25 lakh from The Rameshwaram Cafe by faking a food contamination incident at its Kempegowda International Airport outlet in Bengaluru.

The incident took place on the morning of 24 July, according to the police. A group of five to seven people allegedly claimed that a worm had been found in a dish served to them. They then created a public disturbance at the busy airport food court, drawing attention and taking videos.

One of those videos, which appeared to show a worm in the food, was shared on social media and quickly went viral.

Threats, a phone call, and a demand for cash

The cafe's operations head filed a complaint stating that the individuals threatened to release the video widely unless they were paid. Shortly after the disturbance, the cafe team received a phone call demanding ₹25 lakh in cash. The threat was clear: pay up or face reputational damage.

In response, the cafe submitted call records, message screenshots, and supporting documents to the police, urging swift legal action. The authorities confirmed that a Zero FIR has been registered under sections 308(2) and 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The case will be transferred to the police station under whose jurisdiction the complainant lives.

A Zero FIR allows any police station to register the case regardless of where the alleged incident occurred. It is often used to prevent delays in cases involving serious allegations.

Cafe denies claims, calls incident a setup

Divya Raghav, founder of The Rameshwaram Cafe, firmly rejected the accusations and called the entire episode a deliberate setup.


“We categorically deny the baseless accusation that a worm or insect was found in our food,” she said in a statement. “This is clearly a staged act with malicious intent to extort money and malign our brand.”

She said the cafe operates under “the strictest quality protocols” and that food safety is taken extremely seriously.

“The safety and hygiene of our food preparation are non-negotiable. We operate under the strictest quality protocols, especially at sensitive locations like airports, where routine audits and hygiene checks are mandatory. This is clearly a case of a staged act with malicious intent to extort money and malign our brand,” she said.

Pattern of targeted extortion attempts, says founder

Raghav said this was not the first time the restaurant chain had been targeted in this manner.

“There have been similar attempts in the past where in different instances customers have put stones, insects in the food but were caught red-handed,” she said.

She added that the company would not give in to pressure tactics.

“We will not succumb to intimidation or blackmail. We are fully cooperating with the authorities and will pursue stringent legal action to ensure such unethical acts are exposed and discouraged,” she said.

Appeal to public and media

Raghav also urged people to be cautious about spreading unverified claims online, especially when they could damage businesses that maintain high standards.

She added, “We request the public and media to refrain from sharing unverified content that could mislead consumers and damage the reputation of businesses working with integrity.”

Police have begun reviewing the submitted evidence. While no names have been made public yet, officers confirmed that the matter is under investigation. The case will now proceed based on the legal jurisdiction of the complainant’s residence.

As it stands, the focus remains on verifying the extortion claims and identifying those involved in what the cafe says was a calculated attempt to defame their brand for money.

(With inputs from PTI)