A woman allegedly threatened to file a rape complaint against the staff of a shopping mall here when they asked her to pay the bill.

On Thursday evening, the woman, who was accompanied by her male companion and a child, shopped at the mall at Patrapada. She purchased apparels worth over Rs 50,000 and proceeded towards the billing counter where she told the staff that she is a family friend of one of the partners of the shop and the bill has already been paid.

The staff refused to oblige her, for which an altercation ensued between them. The woman threatened the employees to file a rape complaint against them if they insisted further on paying the bill, the employees said.

“When she entered the shop, she enquired about Ajay Satpathy Sir, who was a former business partner of our owner. She then picked four sarees, a purse and a ladies’ dress. At the billing counter, she asked for the bill. Our staff said they couldn’t produce the bill without it being paid. She then said she has already paid it to Ajay Sir and asked us to take it from him. When we expressed our inability to generate the bill under the circumstances, she snatched the bags and threatened to file a rape complaint against our staff,” an employee of the store said. 

After a commotion, she left the store hastily and rushed out in an SUV. By the time, the store staff had jotted down her vehicle number and contact number.

Soon after, a complaint was lodged at the Tamando police station. Police are investigating  the matter.

Sources said the accused is a habitual offender and was in news earlier for same reasons.