Police in Ghaziabad have registered a case against four alleged office-bearers of the Hindu Raksha Dal after a cafe operator in the Indirapuram police station area accused them of repeatedly consuming food without paying, demanding monthly extortion and threatening to shut her business. The cafe operator had also appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for justice.
The case names Amit Pehalwan, Daksh Chaudhary, Akku Pandit and Saurabh Pandit. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Indirapuram, Suryabali Maurya, confirmed that the FIR had been registered and said the allegations were being investigated. He said action would be taken against those found responsible after the inquiry.
According to the complaint, members associated with the organisation frequently visited the cafe, ate and left without paying the bill. The operator alleged that when she asked for payment, they abused her and threatened to have the cafe closed. She said the conduct had occurred several times and that she had been under continuing pressure because of it.
The cafe operator has further alleged that the men demanded ₹50,000 a month as extortion. She told police that fear led her to pay ₹25,000, after which pressure was allegedly applied for the remaining amount. The complaint also alleges that the group created a disturbance at the cafe and threatened her when she sought payment.
The allegations have emerged through competing video statements. Two days before the FIR, a video released by workers associated with the Hindu Raksha Dal accused the cafe of operating illegally. The cafe operator subsequently released a video alleging non-payment of bills, intimidation, damage and demands for what she described as “goonda tax”, and appealed to the chief minister.
A separate video circulating on social media shows several people identified in the report as Hindu Raksha Dal office-bearers celebrating a worker’s birthday at the cafe. The video is said to have been recorded in February, but Live Hindustan said it had not independently verified the footage. Police are examining the video as part of the investigation.
The case places the dispute within the everyday operating environment of a small food business, where threats of closure or forced payments can directly affect staff, customers and the ability of an establishment to trade. However, the allegations remain unproven, and the FIR represents the beginning of the investigation rather than a finding of guilt.
Police have not announced a final conclusion in the case. The next step is the investigation into the complaint, the people named in it, the competing allegations about the cafe’s legality and the authenticity and circumstances of the video evidence.
