Did Hyderabad ice cream parlour serve alcohol-laced gelato to kids? Ariko Cafe responds | Trending

Weeks after facing accusations of serving “alcohol-infused gelato to kids,” Hyderabad-based Ariko Cafe has responded, stating that the allegations are baseless and part of a smear campaign intended to tarnish their image. Excise Department officials during the raid at Ariko Cafe in Hyderabad, captured on CCTV.(Instagram/Ariko Cafe) The Excise Department raided Ariko Cafe in the Jubilee Hills area of the city on September 6 for allegedly selling whiskey-laced ice cream and arrested several individuals involved in the “racket.” The excise team had seized 23 pieces, totalling 11.5 kg of whiskey ice cream during the raid, and regered a case against the cafe. In response, Ariko Cafe addressed the controversy on social media, stating, “It’s crucial to inform our followers about what actually happened.” What happened?In a social media post, Ariko Cafe detailed the events leading to the controversy. The cafe explained that an individual claiming to be from the US had contacted them, requesting a whiskey-flavored gelato for a private gathering. “Despite inviting him to the cafe to select an alternative flavor, he insed on producing this specific alcoholic flavor,” the post stated. The cafe further clarified that while they informed the individual that a special license was required to produce the alcoholic gelato, he convinced the team to create a chocolate gelato base as a “special order.” This led them to believe he had acquired the necessary license. “He then asked our chef to purchase the alcohol for him, stating he was too busy traveling, and transferred ₹10,000 to our chef’s account,” the post added. The cafe’s social media post further revealed that after the gelato was prepared, the “customer” sent a driver to collect the order. Shortly after, the Excise Department officials conducted a raid on the cafe. “They found no evidence of us making alcohol-infused gelato and even manipulated the scene placing unrelated bottles of alcohol and olive oil to fabricate a false narrative,” the post claimed. (Also read: Telangana: Excise department busts ‘whiskey ice cream racket’ in Hyderabad) Bribery allegationsThe post also accused the officials of demanding a refund of the ₹10,000 sent to the chef, along with a bribe of ₹25,000 to drop the false charges. “The officers falsely accused us of selling whiskey-infused gelato to children, even though the entire incident took place in our central kitchen with no public involvement,” the post stated. The Hyderabad-based cafe has formally filed a complaint, calling for a thorough investigation into what it describes as a malicious conspiracy. (Also read: Panchkula excise officials seize 860 bottles of liquor)