The SRMC police on Friday arrested three persons and launched a manhunt to nab two more local mediapersons for demanding that the staff of a biryani outlet pay them ₹50,000 for not letting the public know that a cockroach was found in the food they served.
On Wednesday at 8 p.m., S. Chandran, 44, of Ayapakkam, accompanied by his friend Manikanda Prasad, 38, of Kanniyakumari came to the biryani restaurant in Iyappanthangal. They raised an issue with the staff after a cockroach was found in the food.
After sometime, K. Rajiv, 49, of Mogappair, Karthik, 33, and Mohan, 31, of Anna Nagar, reached there and introduced themselves as mediapersons and officers of the Vigilance Department.
Staff abused
According to the police, the gang held the staff hostage for more than two hours after snatching their mobile phones. Besides abusing the staff, they also demanded ₹50,000 from the superviser for not disclosing the matter to the public.