On Cam | Violent Clash Between Customers, Staff at Noida Restaurant Over Service Charge of Rs 970

A violent clash broke out between a members of a family, including women, and staffers of a restaurant at a mall in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida on Sunday night, videos of which are going viral on social media.

The ruckus reportedly broke out at ‘Float by Duty Free’ in Noida’s Spectrum Mall after a heated argument between the two sides as one of the customers from the group of about a dozen people asked for the removal of the 10 per cent service charge levied on their bill, an official said.

After the videos went viral, five people, including three restaurant workers and two from the customers’ group, were arrested. The arrests were made after counter complaints were made on behalf of both sides and FIRs lodged by the police on charges of rioting and assault, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.

The customer’s concern was first taken up with a waiter and then escalated to the manager and an argument broke out with a woman customer over the issue before the men from both sides engaged in fisticuffs, the official said.

Reacting to a video of the brawl on Twitter, a user wrote that the incident happened with him and his family, adding that his mother, aunt, sister, brothers were assaulted.

“They threw away my sister’s phone! Slapped my mother!” the user, Aryan Vashisth, wrote.

According to the restaurant ‘Float by Duty Free’, the customers’ bill stood at Rs 11,209 including taxes and a 10 per cent service charge of Rs 970 and remains unpaid because of the brawl and their property incurred damages while some staffers were also injured.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Harish Chander said the incident took place on Sunday night at the restaurant located in the Spectrum shopping mall in Sector 75, under Sector 113 police station limits.

“There was a fight between the two sides — the group of customers and the restaurant staffers — over the payment of service charge. Cases have been lodged on the basis of the complaint received from both sides. Those engaged in violence will be arrested,” Chander said Monday morning.

An official of the Sector 113 police station said Monday afternoon that five people have been arrested in connection with the case and the police have received video evidence of members of both sides engaging in violence.

Two counter FIRs were lodged both having the Indian Penal sections 147 (rioting), 323 (assault), 504 (insult to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (assault with intent to outrage modesty of a woman), the official said.

(With PTI inputs)