Whiskey ice cream seizure: Ariko Cafe owner accuses excise officials of entrapment, bribery

Hyderabad: Ariko Cafe in Jubilee Hills is in the middle of a legal dispute with the Telangana Excise Department after being accused of selling whiskey-infused ice cream to children.

The cafe’s owner, Sharat Chandra Reddy, has alleged that the department framed the establishment through an entrapment operation.

He has since lodged complaints with multiple agencies, including the excise commissioner, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and the Human Rights Commission, accusing the authorities of fabricating evidence and demanding bribes.

#Thread:

Ariko Cafe, booked for selling whiskey-laced icecream to children in #Hyderabad, is intensifying its campaign against #Telangana excise dept for allegedly foisting a false case. Here's a look at possible loopholes in the case & questions raised by its owner

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— Krishnamurthy (@krishna0302) September 19, 2024

What happened at Ariko Cafe?

On September 5, task force officials raided Ariko Cafe’s central kitchen and seized a batch of whiskey-infused gelato.

According to Sharat Chandra Reddy, the cafe’s owner, the incident was a setup orchestrated by an unknown caller who repeatedly ordered whiskey-infused gelato despite being informed that the cafe did not sell alcohol-based products.

The owner claims that after multiple calls and a payment of Rs 10,000 to the chef for a special order, the gelato was prepared, after which officials stormed the premises.

“We do not sell alcohol-infused products and this order was made under special circumstances after assurances that all licenses were in place,” said Reddy.

Claims of collusion and fabrication

Reddy further claimed that the officials had colluded with the caller and manipulated the situation to fabricate a case. He shared CCTV footage showing the officials ordering food, coffee and gelato during the raid, questioning their behaviour in what was supposedly a crime scene.

“If they had a tip-off about us selling alcohol to children, why did they sit and eat in the café for 30 minutes? Their actions do not match their claims,” Reddy stated. He also alleged that the officials planted an empty vodka bottle from the premises’ trash and seized non-relevant items to build their case.

Bribery allegations and escalation of charges

Reddy accused the officials of demanding bribes to drop the charges.

He said that his staff was taken to the Jubilee Hills Excise Station, where a constable allegedly demanded Rs 25,000 to settle the matter and refund the Rs 10,000 paid for the gelato order.

Upon refusal, the case was escalated and the officials reportedly shared the raid with the media, claiming that Ariko Cafe had been selling whiskey-laced ice cream to children.

“Our refusal to comply with their demands led to this escalation. They fabricated a narrative that we were running a whiskey gelato racket, targeting children, without any real evidence,” said Reddy.

Loopholes and questions raised by the Cafe

Reddy has also publicly raised several questions regarding the conduct of the excise officials and the evidence presented in the case. Some of the key points he highlighted include:

1. “If we were selling whiskey-infused gelato to children, why was only one flavour seized, and why were no other flavours tested?”

2. “Why weren’t the seized items sealed properly? If we were committing a crime, why wasn’t the entire property seized?”

3. “We never advertised alcohol-laced products. Can any parent come forward to say that their child was sold whiskey gelato at our cafe?”

4. “Where is the lab-test report that confirms these allegations?”

5. “If we were selling alcohol-based products, why was only one bottle of whiskey seized? We would need more alcohol to produce such items.”

6. “Why were children used to sensationalise the case?”

Cafe owner files complaints against officials

Sharat Chandra Reddy said that he has filed criminal complaints against the task force officials involved in the raid, alleging entrapment, fabrication of evidence, and bribery.

In his complaint to the ACB and the Human Rights Commission, Reddy emphasised the need for transparency and accountability in how the case was handled. He called on the wider food industry to take note of the incident and stand against the alleged corruption and manipulation by authorities.

“We are sharing our story to ensure no other business, especially those that do not serve alcohol, has to go through what we have. This incident raises serious concerns about the abuse of power by certain officials,” Reddy concluded.

The excise department has yet to respond

The Telangana Excise Department has not yet issued an official response to Reddy’s allegations. The case continues to develop as both parties prepare for further legal proceedings.