The South Delhi restaurant, which allegedly denied entry to a disability rights activist, had been “insensitive” towards him, a magisterial inquiry ordered by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has concluded. The Keya restaurant in DlF Promenade Mall in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area that barred the entry of a differently-abled person has been found “insensitive” towards differently-abled.
This has been found by a magisterial inquiry held into the matter. The report recommends that the Delhi Government give a stern warning to the restaurant and frame guidelines about sensitive behavior towards differently-abled persons. The report recommended that the Delhi Government consider framing guidelines to encourage staff at eateries, malls etc to follow when dealing with differently-abled.
Nipun Malhotra, who was born with arthrogryposis — a rare congenital disorder which leads to contraction of the joints in arms and legs — was turned away by Keya restaurant in South Delhi’s DlF Promenade Mall on the evening of March 6. The restaurant had claimed that he had been barred since stag entries were not allowed on the occasion of Holi.
Going by the CCTV footage, the magisterial inquiry said that the restaurant was not sticking to that rule. Also, there was no guideline on barring stag entries.According to the inquiry findings, entry to Malhotra was denied following a heated argument. It was also possible that the staff used force to stop him from going in.
Malhotra had tweeted that the security men at the Keya restaurant had “started pulling” his wheelchair when he tried to get in. Asked why they were barring him from entering, they had told him that the restaurant does not “allow people on wheelchair as a policy”.
The manager, he said, later “tried to flip the argument” by saying they “do not allow stag entries”. “I had to point it out to him that if you don’t allow stag entries, then how do I have eight friends inside, of whom five were boys and three girlsIJ” Malhotra had said.
Taking a serious note, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Vasant Vihar, to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The Delhi Government has made it clear that the national Capital should lead by example on how people from all segments of the society have a right to live their lives honourably.