Officials said on Wednesday that a south Delhi eatery that recently garnered criticism for reportedly refusing entrance to a saree-clad woman has been closed after city authorities gave it a closure notice for operating without a commercial license. Last week, a video of the woman and the restaurant employees arguing went popular on social media.
Mukesh Suryan, the mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), confirmed the restaurant’s closure and said: ‘The Aquila restaurant was operating without a proper license. It has now been shut after we issued a closure notice. We are also exploring other actions including imposing a penalty in accordance with the DMC (Delhi Municipal Corporation) Act against the eatery as it was functioning without approval from the civic body.’
SDMC authorities issued a closure notice to the Aquila Restaurant, which is located at Ansal Plaza in Andrews Ganj, on September 24 for operating without a valid license. However, the restaurant came under fire after a woman claimed on social media that she was denied entry into the restaurant because she was wearing a saree.
She also shared a brief video of her argument with the restaurant employees, as well as a few photos of herself wearing the saree. However, the eatery stated that the event had been misrepresented. The National Commission for Women (NCW) had also requested that the incident be investigated by the Delhi Police.
Also Read: ‘Naya Pakistan’: 1.5 million unemployed Pakistanis apply for a peon’s post
The case was built against an inquiry by a local public health inspector who found the institution operating in unsanitary circumstances on September 21. An alleged trespass of public land was also mentioned in the notification.
On Wednesday, during the SDMC House meeting, Abhishek Dutt, a Congress councillor from Andrews Ganj, addressed the matter and proposed a punishment of Rs 5 lakh for any restaurant, bar, or hotel that refuses to admit anyone dressed in traditional Indian garb.
Post Your Comments