‘Free For All’ At RTDC Restaurant In Jaipur

Ugly scenes were displayed at a restaurant in Jaipur when its staff and a group of customers, including two women, engaged in a fight over a seat reservation. The incident occurred on Sunday night at the Padao restaurant situated on the historic ramparts of Nahargarh Fort.

A video of the incident went viral, in which the two parties can be seen slapping and punching each other. The nearly 45-second clip showed at least 15 people - including two couples - engaged in a brawl. Two women were also seen hitting the restaurant staff and shouting, trying to stop them from hitting their partners. The restaurant staff, in return, assaulted them.

According to officials, the incident took place around 8 pm when two couples had gone to the restaurant for dinner. Their argument with the hotel staff began over a seat that they had reserved. This soon turned into a violent fight. The restaurant is owned by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC).

Both the hotel staff and the customers have filed a case against each other at the Brahmapuri police station. The customers in their complaint alleged that a restaurant employee molested one of the women and that when she resisted, she and her companions were assaulted by multiple staff members.

In response, Padao Restaurant’s General Manager, Bhagat Singh, offered a conflicting version of events. He claimed the group of customers arrived on the recommendation of a police officer and that the altercation began when one of the women slapped a waiter unprovoked. Singh stated that staff acted in self-defence and have also lodged a counter-complaint with the police.

Brahmapuri police station in-charge, Rajesh Gautam, confirmed that complaints have been received from both sides. “Initial investigations suggest the dispute arose over a pre-booked seat, which led to an argument about vacating it. We are reviewing video evidence and interrogating both parties,” he said.