Mumbai: Borivli eatery owner alleges Rs 25 lakh extortion over viral rat-in-dosa video

The Radha Krishna eatery, whose licence was suspended. Pic/Satej Shinde

A viral video of a rat allegedly found in a dosa cost a Borivli West eatery its licence. Its owner now claims the video also became a tool for blackmail. The Borivli police have booked two women on his complaint, alleging that they hounded him for Rs 25 lakh by threatening to circulate the clip again.

[popcorn number=”Sept 28″ desc=”Day restaurant’s licence was suspended” class=”Default”]

The FIR was registered on October 5 on the complaint of Jay Shah, owner of Radha Krishna eatery on LT Road. Mansi Amit Acharya, 36, and her sister Kinjal Bhatia, 29, both Gorai residents, have been booked under sections 308(2) (extortion) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The Radha Krishna eatery on LT Road in Borivli West, whose licence was suspended on September 28. Pic/Satej Shinde

On September 24, a group allegedly visited the eatery and claimed to have found a rat in a dosa. A clip of the incident began going viral on social media on September 26. Two days later, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the eatery’s licence, as reported earlier by mid-day.

Shah alleges the real ordeal began after that. He claims threatening calls followed, demanding that he pay compensation or see the video go viral again. He first approached Borivli police on September 29.

According to the FIR, Mansi phoned him on September 30, demanding Rs 25 lakh, and later visited the eatery with Kinjal. The figure was allegedly negotiated down to Rs 20 lakh, then Rs 15 lakh, and finally Rs 7 lakh. Shah says he paid Rs 1 lakh in cash as a token. Between October 1 and 5, he alleges, Mansi kept calling and sending WhatsApp messages for the remaining Rs 6 lakh, threatening a police complaint against him.

A screengrab from the video of the rat allegedly found in a dosa served at the restaurant on September 24

Shah said he stayed in touch with police throughout. The FIR states that on the evening of October 5, Mansi was allegedly caught accepting Rs 6 lakh in cash in a trap laid in the presence of independent witnesses.

Shah told mid-day, “There was a video clip of a rat being found in a dosa, and thereafter the FDA took action against our hotel and suspended the licence. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe is working for the benefit of the people, and that is right. But at such a time, many people with different motives take advantage by threatening restaurateurs and demanding money.”

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