Aligarh, 22 Feb: A cook was arrested and a hotel sealed after a video allegedly showing him spitting on tandoori rotis before cooking them went viral on social media, police said on February 21.
The accused, identified as Soheb Khan, was working at Shadab Chicken Darbar Hotel located in Teli Pada under Rorawar police station limits in Aligarh.
Two video clips, each around six seconds long, surfaced online showing the cook preparing rotis in a tandoor and allegedly spitting on them before cooking. The clips triggered outrage among locals, following which a complaint was lodged with the police.
Acting on information received through social media, Aligarh Police identified the establishment and conducted a raid, taking the accused into custody. An FIR was registered at Rorawar police station under Sections 271 and 272 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
The complaint was filed by Lokesh Varshney, who stated in the FIR that the act was “harmful to the public at large” and sought strict legal action.
Circle Officer (City II) Kamlesh Kumar confirmed that the video was received on February 21 and immediate action was initiated. He said the dhaba was identified, an FIR registered under relevant sections, and the accused arrested. The concerned department has been informed for further necessary action.
A team from the food safety department also inspected the premises, collected food samples for testing and ordered the temporary closure of the hotel pending completion of the investigation.
