After facing accusations of serving "alcohol-infused gelato to kids," Ariko Cafe, a popular ice cream parlor in upscale Jubilee Hills area of Hyderabad, has responded by vehemently denying the claims. They argue that the allegations are part of a deliberate smear campaign aimed at tarnishing their reputation. The controversy erupted following a raid conducted by the Excise Department, which seized what was described as whiskey-laced ice cream and arrested individuals linked to the incident.
The incident took place in Hyderabad’s upscale Jubilee Hills area, where Ariko Cafe was allegedly caught selling ice cream infused with whiskey. The shocking aspect of the case was that many of the consumers were reportedly children. Acting on a tip-off, excise officials conducted a raid on September 6 at the cafe, seizing 11.5 kilograms of ice cream said to be infused with whiskey. Officials noted that the cafe had been selling the whiskey-infused ice cream for months, without overtly advertising its alcoholic content. Instead, the product was marketed as a "whiskey chocolate" flavor, described as an in-house specialty.
Ariko Cafe responds to allegations
In response to the raid and the accusations, Ariko Cafe took to social media to explain their side of the story. According to their statement, the incident was a setup designed to damage the business's image. The cafe claimed that the entire scenario began when an individual, claiming to be from the United States, contacted them with a special request. This person asked for a whiskey-flavored gelato for a private event. Although the cafe informed him that they did not produce alcoholic ice creams and that a special license was required, the individual persisted. He convinced the cafe to create a chocolate gelato base as a "special order," and the cafe believed that he had obtained the necessary license for the alcoholic flavor.
The cafe explained that the individual even asked their chef to purchase the alcohol on his behalf, stating that he was too busy with travel arrangements. He transferred Rs 10,000 to the chef’s account to cover the purchase of the alcohol. Once the gelato was prepared, the customer sent a driver to pick up the order. Shortly afterward, the Excise Department raided the cafe’s central kitchen.
Accusations of Corruption and Fabrication
Ariko Cafe alleges that during the raid, the Excise Department officials manipulated the evidence to falsely accuse them of selling whiskey-infused gelato to children. The cafe claimed that the officers placed unrelated bottles of alcohol and olive oil at the scene to fabricate a story. According to their statement, the officers were even caught on camera enjoying pizza, gelato, and coffee at the cafe during the raid, undermining their accusations of illegal activity.
Moreover, the cafe accused the officials of corruption, stating that the officers demanded a refund of the Rs 10,000 that had been transferred to the chef and also requested a bribe of Rs 25,000 in exchange for dropping the charges. Ariko Cafe asserts that the accusations of selling alcohol to minors are completely false.
The cafe said it has filed a formal complaint, calling for an investigation into what they describe as a malicious conspiracy against their business. In their social media post, they reassured their customers that they had always operated with honesty and integrity. They described the incident as an attempt to tarnish their hard-earned reputation and pleaded for public support in their fight for justice.
The incident took place in Hyderabad’s upscale Jubilee Hills area, where Ariko Cafe was allegedly caught selling ice cream infused with whiskey. The shocking aspect of the case was that many of the consumers were reportedly children. Acting on a tip-off, excise officials conducted a raid on September 6 at the cafe, seizing 11.5 kilograms of ice cream said to be infused with whiskey. Officials noted that the cafe had been selling the whiskey-infused ice cream for months, without overtly advertising its alcoholic content. Instead, the product was marketed as a "whiskey chocolate" flavor, described as an in-house specialty.
Ariko Cafe responds to allegations
In response to the raid and the accusations, Ariko Cafe took to social media to explain their side of the story. According to their statement, the incident was a setup designed to damage the business's image. The cafe claimed that the entire scenario began when an individual, claiming to be from the United States, contacted them with a special request. This person asked for a whiskey-flavored gelato for a private event. Although the cafe informed him that they did not produce alcoholic ice creams and that a special license was required, the individual persisted. He convinced the cafe to create a chocolate gelato base as a "special order," and the cafe believed that he had obtained the necessary license for the alcoholic flavor.
The cafe explained that the individual even asked their chef to purchase the alcohol on his behalf, stating that he was too busy with travel arrangements. He transferred Rs 10,000 to the chef’s account to cover the purchase of the alcohol. Once the gelato was prepared, the customer sent a driver to pick up the order. Shortly afterward, the Excise Department raided the cafe’s central kitchen.
Accusations of Corruption and Fabrication
Ariko Cafe alleges that during the raid, the Excise Department officials manipulated the evidence to falsely accuse them of selling whiskey-infused gelato to children. The cafe claimed that the officers placed unrelated bottles of alcohol and olive oil at the scene to fabricate a story. According to their statement, the officers were even caught on camera enjoying pizza, gelato, and coffee at the cafe during the raid, undermining their accusations of illegal activity.
Moreover, the cafe accused the officials of corruption, stating that the officers demanded a refund of the Rs 10,000 that had been transferred to the chef and also requested a bribe of Rs 25,000 in exchange for dropping the charges. Ariko Cafe asserts that the accusations of selling alcohol to minors are completely false.
The cafe said it has filed a formal complaint, calling for an investigation into what they describe as a malicious conspiracy against their business. In their social media post, they reassured their customers that they had always operated with honesty and integrity. They described the incident as an attempt to tarnish their hard-earned reputation and pleaded for public support in their fight for justice.
