Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe Faces Legal Action Over Alleged Insect in Food and False Complaint Filing

The customer alleged that an insect was discovered in their food at the popular cafe.

Bengaluru:

Police have registered a case against Rameshwaram Cafe owner Raghavendra Rao, his spouse Divya Raghavendra Rao, and senior executive Sumanth Lakshminarayan following a complaint from a 19-year-old customer. The allegations include food adulteration, criminal conspiracy, and related offenses.

The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged on Saturday after the complainant reported finding a "superworm" in food served at the Rameshwaram Cafe located in Bengaluru airport this July.

According to the filed report, the complainant arrived at Kempegowda International Airport's Terminal 1 on July 24 at approximately 7:42 am with friends before their flight to Guwahati. They visited Rameshwaram Cafe for breakfast and ordered Pongal and filter coffee. The customer reportedly discovered a superworm in the food and immediately notified staff. While cafe employees offered to replace the meal, the complainant declined. Several other patrons present at the establishment documented the incident through photos and videos.

The report states that the complainant departed the cafe without causing disruption and proceeded to board their flight around 8:45 am. On July 25, the complainant discovered through media coverage that Rameshwaram Cafe representative Sumanth BL had filed a counter-complaint, alleging the customer had demanded Rs 25 lakh while threatening the cafe's reputation.

The complainant has contested this claim, stating they were already aboard their flight during the time specified in Sumanth BL's complaint and possess documentation to verify this. They further declared having no connection to any phone numbers mentioned in the counter-complaint and denied making any compensation requests or financial demands.

The FIR also indicates that the complainant has requested verification of the cafe's CCTV footage from 7:30-8:00 am on July 24, 2025, along with their boarding pass, flight records, and relevant call details. The complainant maintains that serving contaminated food constitutes a serious food safety violation and alleges that Rameshwaram Cafe's owners and representatives endangered lives by serving unsafe food, attempted to defame and harass them, and filed a false extortion complaint that severely damaged their dignity and reputation.