Customer accused of trying to ‘incite riots’ after receiving wrong steak at restaurant

Police action follows multiple complaints against influencer after viral video leads to restaurant worker’s arrest

A police complaint was registered against a social media influencer for allegedly trying to incite violence in an Indian city after he said he was served beef instead of mutton at a popular restaurant.

In a viral video, social media influencer and television actor Sayak Chakraborty said he was not served what he had ordered – a mutton steak – at the Olypub restaurant and bar known for serving beef and pork in Kolkata, the capital of the eastern state of West Bengal.

According to Mr Chakraborty, he realised he had eaten beef only when a second plate of steak, this time a mutton dish, arrived at their table.

File. Sayak Chakraborty on Friday, 30 January 2026, claimed he was served beef at Olypub on Park Street, leading to the waiter's arrest (Sayak/Facebook)

In a video posted online and later deleted, he confronted the waiter, 34-year-old Sheikh Nasimuddin, and the restaurant’s manager, alleging that “a deliberate attempt” had been made to hurt his religious sentiments as he was Hindu. The footage showed the waiter apologising repeatedly, saying the beef dish was served in error.

Mr Nasimuddin was taken into custody on Saturday under sections of India’s criminal code, which addresses deliberate and malicious acts intended to “outrage religious feelings”. He was subsequently granted bail and released on Tuesday after the defence counsel argued there had been no progress in the investigation.

Police confirmed on Monday that a first information report (FIR) – a precursor to legal action in India – was filed against Mr Chakraborty after multiple complaints accused him of provoking religious tension following the dispute at the restaurant.

In India, several states have laws restricting or banning cow slaughter, with some also prohibiting the sale, transport or consumption of beef. The cow is regarded as sacred by many Hindus, who make up the majority of the population and has been an issue repeatedly taken up by Hindu-right wing groups, as well as prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

In 2024 Indian authorities bulldozed the homes of 11 people in the central Madhya Pradesh state after police found beef in their refrigerators and cows in their backyards. And in 2022 two men in state of Chhattisgarh were beaten and paraded naked on suspicion of allegedly transporting beef.

West Bengal, led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, has historically resisted federal attempts to impose a nationwide beef ban, viewing it as an infringement on state rights and individual dietary choices. Cow slaughter is legal only in eight Indian states, including Kerala, Goa, West Bengal, and northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Tripura.

Mr Nasimuddin, who is originally from Jajpur in Odisha, has worked at Olypub for nearly a decade. His father and uncle were also employed at the establishment, reported the Indian Express. He lives in a paying guest accommodation near the restaurant with his uncle and others who work there.

His colleagues attended the court hearing on Tuesday, and said the incident was a genuine error. “This is an unfortunate incident…we never thought it would end like this,” one colleague said. Another added: “Mistakes happen.”

On Monday, Olypub issued a statement calling the episode “an unintentional error” and “a genuine mistake with no harm intended”.

The statement said: “We are truly sorry for his mistake and apologise profusely for inadvertently hurting our customers’ sentiments. Olypub is built on a foundation of respect for all – irrespective of caste, creed, religion, or gender.”

Olypub, which was founded in 1947 as Olympia Bar and Restaurant and renamed in 1981, remained closed for two days after the server’s arrest before reopening on Monday. Customers reported heavier footfall than usual when it resumed operations.

The owner, Azmeen Tangri, whose family has run the restaurant for three generations, said there was no question of dismissing Mr Nasimuddin.

“It (removing him) has not even occurred to us,” he said. Reacting to the bail order, he told The Indian Express: “We are relieved… and happy that Nasimuddin has got bail. Of course, it was a very unfortunate situation… but we are very grateful.”

He also described the support the restaurant had received as “humbling” and added: “We are thankful to the police authorities too.”

Civil society groups and political parties criticised the initial arrest. Members of the non-profit Association for Protection of Democratic Rights attended the court hearing and questioned why Mr Nasimuddin had been taken into custody while no immediate action was taken against Mr Chakraborty.

One of the complainants against the influencer, Chitosree Mukherjee, said: “He should be arrested for deliberately doing this and creating disturbance. The safety of the waiter was put into danger.”

Civil rights activist Joyraj Bhattacharya, who also filed a complaint against Mr Chakraborty on Saturday evening, told The Wire: “I have seen the video, and it appears to me that it was deliberately creating communal intolerance. As a citizen, I have filed a complaint against this.”

Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy told the outlet, “Instead of properly investigating a complaint, a poor waiter has been arrested. Why won’t the police conduct a full investigation of the incident? Why won’t they examine the video and interrogate the young man? Frenzy is being used to spread religious division across the country.”

Demonstrations were held outside Park Street police station on Sunday demanding the waiter’s release.

Opposition parties including the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) questioned the police action, while Trinamool Congress leader Trinankur Bhattacharya said: “What we eat is our own freedom. If there is a mistake in serving food, recording a video and publicising it is clearly intentional. Such provocation is not desirable in our state,” declining to comment directly on the arrest.

Police sources told the Indian Express that Mr Chakraborty is facing three cases under sections dealing with provocation with intent to cause riot, promotion of enmity or disharmony between groups based on religion, race, place of birth, residence or language, and statements causing “public mischief”.

Before the FIR was registered, Mr Chakraborty told The Times of India that his lawyer would approach the court to withdraw his complaint against the waiter and the restaurant.

“I called the police station but the officers said I had to approach a court to withdraw the case. My lawyer will appeal before the court on Tuesday to withdraw the case against the waiter and the restaurant,” he said.

On Sunday evening, he posted a statement on social media announcing that he was stepping back from the dispute.

He wrote: “I am withdrawing my complaint against that gentleman and Oly Pub. My issue was with the mistake made by Oly Pub. Perhaps my reaction was also wrong. I am sorry. In the future, I don't want to get involved in these kinds of controversies while making vlogs. Oly Pub finally apologised. So, please stop spinning stories... I am sorry once again for this unintentional incident.”

He later told The Times of India: “I posted the video to show the lackadaisical attitude of the restaurant. I had nothing against the waiter. I did not misbehave with the waiter. Some other person may have hit him. The fact that the restaurant authorities apologised shows I was not wrong in pointing out the mistake. But I sent the videos to the recycle bin to avoid any more controversies.”

Mr Chakraborty has not commented since the FIR was registered.