Overview

• Kempegowda International Airport police registered an FIR under blackmail and extortion sections after Rameshwaram Cafe alleged a ₹25 lakh ransom demand following a viral worm-in-pongal video.
• Founder Divya Raghav said the cafe upholds strict hygiene audits and quality checks, calling the contamination accusation baseless.
• The cafe submitted call logs, message screenshots and other documentation to support its complaint against a group of five to seven individuals.
• Staff at the airport outlet initially apologized and refunded ₹300 after the customer began recording the alleged worm in his pongal.
• The probe follows past food safety scrutiny when Telangana inspectors in May 2024 uncovered expired and mislabeled items at the chain’s Hyderabad outlets.