Manipur and Mizoram hotel staff allege illegal confinement at Chennai hotel

Three employees, reportedly from Manipur and Mizoram came up with an accusation that the management confined them illegally in a Chennai hotel for allegedly stealing money. The staff members claimed they were detained and beaten up on the pretext of having stolen Rs 1.5 lakh at the Ignite Bar of Chennai Gateway Hotel.

"The waiters told us they were confined on Saturday evening and thrashed," said Chennai Police. The management's response to the allegations has been to deny the charges and say that the waiters had indulged in financial misappropriation. It is reported that once the card payment system at the hotel stopped working, the staff would accept money into their own Google Pay accounts and transfer it to the hotel's account—keeping a 10% tip for themselves. It was regular practice, according to them, at the said hotel.

The matter came to light when a social worker, Dr. Aiswarya Rao, took the same issue to social media platform X. Chennai Police responded over the matter. Investigation is underway as the police await the bank statements to ascertain the allegations leveled. No arrests have been made so far.

"One of the waiters has been associated with the hotel for four years, the second for one year, and the third for four months," said a police officer. "We are investigating the case from all angles and will take necessary action after the probe is over."