Baba ka Dhaba owner Kanta Prasad attempts suicide, admitted to hospital

Bab ka Dhaba owner Kanta Prasad attempted suicide on Thursday night by consuming sleeping pills, police said. The 80-year-old man was rushed to Safdarjung hospital in an unconscious state at around 11.30pm.

"Kanta Prasad, 80-year-old owner of 'Baba Ka Dhaba' was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital last night. He was brought in an unconscious condition after he consumed alcohol & sleeping pills. Statement of his son has been recorded for the same. Probe is going on," said DCP, South, Atul Thakur.

Earlier this month, Kanta Prasad, who had shot to fame last year after a YouTuber highlighted octogenarian's grim financial condition due to the coronavirus pandemic, had to shut down his new restaurant that he had opened in Malviya Nagar in December 2020 using the donation money, owing to losses.

Prasad allegedly received a total of Rs 42 lakh as help, said social worker Adlakha, who had helped ‘baba' set up the new restaurant. He however denied Prasad's allegations about encouraging him to open a restaurant.

Unfortunately, the restaurant business failed to take off and Prasad was back at his old eatery within a year.

“The restaurant did well in the beginning. After a while, customers stopped coming, and the expenses were a lot more than the income. I had to spend Rs 1 lakh to run the restaurant, but we were earning only Rs 30,000,” Prasad said, adding he is back at his old dhaba and is “happy” with it.