A significant Rameshwaram Cafe FIR has been formally registered by Bengaluru police, escalating a high-profile food safety scandal that began when a customer discovered a “superworm” in a plate of pongal at the popular restaurant’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) outlet in July 2025.
The case took a dramatic turn as the Rameshwaram Cafe FIR names the cafe’s owners Raghavendra Rao and Divya Raghavendra Rao along with senior executive Sumanth Lakshminarayan. They face serious charges under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including “sale of noxious food or drink,” “food adulteration,” and “criminal conspiracy.”
This legal action follows a heated exchange of accusations. The 19-year-old customer documented the alleged contamination and filed a complaint before catching his flight. The cafe management retaliated the next day with a counter-complaint, accusing the individual of attempting to extort ₹25 lakh and stage the incident to damage the brand’s reputation.
With the Rameshwaram Cafe FIR now officially filed, police have launched a detailed investigation. Authorities will examine critical evidence including CCTV footage from the outlet, the complainant’s flight records, and all communication related to the alleged extortion attempt. The outcome of this probe will determine whether this was a case of severe food safety failure or an elaborate attempt to defame a leading culinary brand.