Alappuzha: The Cherthala police on Friday took two restaurant owners into custody over a Vishu advertisement that depicted Lord Krishna alongside ‘kuzhimandhi’.

The accused have been identified as Arshad (36) and Shamnas (30), natives of Cherthala and managing partners of Mehr Mandi & Grills, a restaurant known for Arabic cuisine. They have been booked under Section 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the FIR, the accused allegedly posted a Vishu greeting online with the message “Happy Vishu – Mehr’s Vishu wishes to everyone,” accompanied by an image of kuzhimandhi (a non-vegetarian dish) placed in front of Lord Sree Krishna. The complaint states that the post was shared with the intention of hurting the sentiments of Hindu believers and disturbing public peace. The content was reportedly circulated through a WhatsApp status from the early hours of April 15, the day of Vishu.

The complaint was filed by Dini AP, who alleged that the act was deliberate and intended to provoke.

Following the controversy, another managing partner, Shameer, issued a clarification on social media, expressing regret over the incident. He said the post was initially created as a festive greeting but was withdrawn internally after concerns were raised. However, one member of a common group who had seen the draft poster during discussions allegedly shared it due to a misunderstanding.

Shameer said that although the post was removed quickly, screenshots were taken and widely circulated. He maintained that there was no intention to offend any community and that the issue had escalated beyond their expectations.
“Even if it was unintentional, please forgive us for causing mental distress to our brothers,” he said.

He added that the restaurant respects all religions and associated celebrations, and that the controversy has caused significant distress to the team. The restaurant has been operating for around one and a half years.