Rameshwaram Cafe Owners Booked After ‘Worm in Food’ Complaint Leads to Alleged False Extortion Case

The owners of the popular eatery, The Rameshwaram Cafe, and a senior executive have been formally booked by Bengaluru Airport police following a bizarre complaint of food contamination that escalated into an alleged case of fabricating false evidence.

The controversy centers on an incident on July 24 at the cafe’s Kempegowda International Airport (BIAL) Terminal 1 outlet. Complainant Nikhil N alleged he found a “super worm” in the Ven Pongal he was served. He immediately alerted staff but declined a replacement as he had to board a flight to Guwahati.

The situation took a dramatic turn the following day when Nikhil discovered media reports stating that a cafe representative, Sumanth BL, had filed a police complaint accusing him of demanding ₹25 lakh and threatening the brand’s reputation.

Nikhil vehemently denied the extortion charges, submitting his boarding pass and travel records as proof that he was already on his flight at the time the alleged threat was made. Subsequent police inquiry reportedly found no evidence to substantiate the café’s claim of blackmail against Nikhil.

In response, Nikhil filed a counter-complaint, seeking an investigation into both the food safety violation and the “false extortion case.” Based on his complaint, the BIAL police registered an FIR against cafe owners Raghavendra Rao, Divya Raghavendra Rao, and executive Sumanth Lakshminarayan. The charges are severe, including offences related to the adulteration and sale of noxious food, as well as criminal conspiracy and fabricating false evidence under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The investigation is currently underway.