Barbeque Nation Refuges Claims of Contamination: Denies Allegations of Dead Rat and Cockroaches in Vegetarian Meal

Barbeque Nation Denies Allegations of Contaminated Meal Amidst Customer’s Claims of Dead Rat and Cockroaches

Barbeque Nation, a popular restaurant chain based in Worli, Mumbai, has refuted claims made by a Prayagraj-based lawyer, Rajeev Shukla, who alleged that his vegetarian meal from the establishment was contaminated with a dead rat and cockroaches. In an official statement addressing the controversy, Barbeque Nation asserted that an internal investigation and inspections by relevant authorities did not reveal any lapses.

The restaurant chain responded to the complaint made by Rajeev Shukla, stating, “We are in receipt of a complaint from one Mr. Rajeev Shukla with an allegation that there were pests found in the food he had ordered from one of our outlets on the 8th Jan, 2024. We have done our internal investigation and found no such internal lapses. Further, we have also got an inspection done from the concerned authorities and have not found any such instances as alleged. We will fully cooperate with the concerned authorities on any further inspection/audit.”

The controversy unfolded when Rajeev Shukla, visiting Mumbai, claimed that he was hospitalized after consuming food ordered online from Barbeque Nation. The 35-year-old lawyer alleged that his Classic Veg Meal Box Regular contained a dead rat and cockroaches. Rajeev reported developing gastric issues after consuming the Dal Makhni from the meal.

Taking to social media, Rajeev posted on platform X, formerly Twitter, “I Rajeev Shukla from Prayagraj visited Mumbai, on 8th Jan ’24 night ordered a veg meal box from BARBEQUE NATION, Worli outlet that contained a dead mouse, hospitalized for 75+ hours. Complaint has not been lodged at Nagpada police not filing my FIR yet.”

Accompanying his post were images of the bill, the food parcel, the dead rat in the dal, and a photo of himself in the hospital. Rajeev expressed dissatisfaction with the Nagpada Police for not filing his FIR.

In a Free Press Journal report, Rajeev mentioned that this experience may mark his last trip to Mumbai. As a pure vegetarian, he emphasized suffering from food poisoning due to the contaminated meal. Despite Rajeev’s email complaint to Barbeque Nation, he claimed that no representative from the establishment visited the hospital, leaving him to bear the medical expenses.

Six days later, Rajeev Shukla filed an FIR against the owner, manager, and chef of Barbeque Nation at Nagpada Police Station. The incident has raised concerns about food safety standards and customer experience in the hospitality industry. Barbeque Nation has yet to respond to the filed FIR as the legal proceedings unfold.