The Karnataka High Court has stepped in to provide temporary relief to the promoters of the popular Rameshwaram Cafe, putting an investigation against them on hold. This development comes in connection with a controversial case involving an alleged discovery of worms in a food item served at the cafe's airport outlet.
Court Order and Petitioners' Plea
Justice Mohammad Nawaz of the Karnataka High Court issued an order for an interim stay on the investigation after hearing a petition filed by the cafe's promoters: BL Sumanth, Divya, and Raghavendra Rao. The court also issued a formal notice to the complainant, N Nikhil, and the state government, indicating that the matter requires deeper examination.
The petitioners argued that the entire process was flawed and aimed at harassing them. They informed the court that the genesis of the case was a complaint filed at the BIAL police station on July 24. This complaint was registered on the same day an air passenger claimed to have found worms in a plate of pongal at the cafe.
Sequence of Legal Events
The initial complaint was filed as a Zero FIR and was later transferred to the Vyalikaval police station for further action. However, the petitioners highlighted a critical twist in the timeline.
They stated that the complainant, N Nikhil, had already submitted a private complaint before the court of the Principal Civil Judge and JMFC at Devanahalli on August 11. This complaint sought the court's direction for an investigation under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), leading the magistrate to issue a notice to the BIAL police station inspector.
Allegations of Vindictive Action
The core of the promoters' argument rests on the allegation that the complainant suppressed this information. Despite having a complaint already pending before the magistrate, Nikhil allegedly approached the BIAL police again after a delay of more than two months with another complaint.
The petitioners have strongly contended that this subsequent complaint is vindictive in nature. They claim it was lodged with the primary intention of harassing and blackmailing them, rather than seeking genuine justice for the alleged food safety issue.
With the High Court's interim stay now in effect, the investigation led by the police has been halted temporarily. The court will reconsider the legal complexities and the petitioners' allegations in subsequent hearings before deciding the future course of this case.
