Mumbai Policeman Assaults Restaurant Staff for Refusing Free Food

Assistant Police Inspector Vikram Patil walked into the Swagat Dining Bar after midnight and demanded food.

A non-cognisable complaint has been registered against the policeman by the Vakola police under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).

(Photo: The Quint)

A policeman abused and assaulted a restaurant manager in Mumbai on Wednesday night, 22 December, after he refused to give the cop free food after closing hours.

Assistant Police Inspector, Vakola police station in Santacruz (east), Vikram Patil walked into the Swagat Dining Bar in the area after midnight. According to witnesses, Inspector Patil entered the restaurant from the kitchen and demanded food. On being refused, he punched the manager repeatedly. The whole incident was caught on the restaurant's CCTV cameras, the video of which has now gone viral on social media.

A non-cognisable complaint has been registered against the policeman by the Vakola police under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt). A departmental inquiry has also been ordered against him.

“The cashier was physically assaulted for the simple reason that he could not provide the officer free food at 12.30 am as the restaurant kitchen was closed for the day,” said Shivanand Shetty, president of Association of Hotel and Restaurant (AHAR), according to The Indian Express.

Ganesh Patil, the restaurant manager, told the inspector that the kitchen was closed as the time was 12:35 am. However, the policeman lost his temper and started abusing him. He then reached across the counter and started beating the manager, refusing to listen to him.

The witnesses further said that Inspector Patil appeared to be drunk.

The restaurant's other employees dragged the policeman away, but he managed to break free and landed a few more punches on the manager.

(With inputs from NDTV and The Indian Express.)