Café owner booked for using girls to lure customers to eatery

The Delhi Police have registered FIRs against the owner of Maxico Café, located at Cross River Mall in Anand Vihar, following allegations that girls employed by the establishment lured customers to the café, where several complaints of overcharging for food items were reported.

According to the police, multiple complaints were received at the Anand Vihar police station, alleging that customers — primarily men — were induced to visit the café by women staff members and were subsequently billed exorbitant amounts.

While some complaints were initially settled privately by the complainants, written submissions later led to the registration of three FIRs against the café owner. The cases have been registered under Sections 115(2), 126(2), 351(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The police said the café owner is under investigation and that action is also being taken against the girls who allegedly induced customers to visit the establishment. Officials confirmed that the women involved had been identified.

In addition to the criminal cases, police have written to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), seeking the revocation of the café’s Health Trade Licence and recommending the sealing of the premises.

According to officials, the girls employed by the café allegedly used dating applications and social media platforms to lure male customers, operating on a commission-based arrangement linked to the final bill amount.

After initiating chats with prospective dates, the women would insist on meeting in person and suggest the café as the venue. Once inside, they allegedly ordered multiple food and beverage items without discussing prices, often remaining distracted on their phones. The final bills were reportedly inflated, sometimes running into thousands of rupees for basic orders. After the payment was made, the woman would typically leave the café on some pretext and would not return.