The Mumbai police have apprehended the head chef, manager, and chicken supplier of the Bandra-based restaurant 'Papa Pancho Da Dhaba' following an allegation from a customer who claimed to have discovered rat remains in a chicken dish. The incident occurred on August 13th when two friends visited the restaurant located at Pali Hill.
The customers had ordered a variety of non-vegetarian items. According to the complainant, they came across an "unusual mass" in the chicken plate, which upon closer examination turned out to be rat remains.
Arrests and Subsequent Release
On Tuesday night, the Bandra police, where a case had been registered, arrested the three individuals. One of those detained is Vivian Albert Sequera, the restaurant's manager. However, shortly after the arrests were made, all three were released on bail, as confirmed by a police official on Wednesday morning.
Anurag Singh and his friend Amin experienced this shocking incident. Singh, a resident of Goregaon, had planned to enjoy some Punjabi cuisine and headed to Papa Pancho Da Dhaba on Sunday night with his friend. Their order included chicken curry, mutton curry, two portions of Dal Makhani, Dahi Matka, and four parathas for dinner.
Singh informed the police that while savoring the dishes, they detected an unusual taste in the chicken plate. As a dedicated non-vegetarian, Singh mentioned his familiarity with the taste and flavor of chicken, which he found different on this occasion. Upon investigating further, he discovered the lifeless body of a rat within the pot of meat.
Singh shared that he promptly alerted Sequera, who subsequently summoned the chef. Both of them provided evasive responses and failed to take responsibility. This led Singh and his friend to escalate the matter by involving the police and social media. Feeling increasingly unwell after ingesting a portion of the rat-contaminated dish, Singh sought medical attention after engaging with law enforcement.
Police inspects restaurant takes crew into custody
Following the registration of the FIR, the police conducted an investigation into the meat, particularly the chicken suppliers for Papa Pancho Da Dhaba. The meat is known to be procured from a third-party company, from which one of the employees was apprehended on Tuesday night.
All three suspects have been arrested under sections 272 (Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 336 (Whoever does any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others), and 34 (Common intent) of the Indian Penal Code. The police have indicated that an ongoing inquiry into the matter is underway.
