Mumbai: A sessions court has granted anticipatory bail to owners of a recently-opened restaurant in Versova booked for allegedly duping a businessman of Rs 23.6 lakh on the pretext of offering a franchise.

Karthik Shetty and his wife Manjula own Idli Guru, a Bengaluru-based franchise restaurant specialising in south Indian food.

The complainant wanted to open a franchise of the restaurant in Versova, Andheri. His father had also contacted the family in January 2024. After discussions the two parties signed an agreement and selected a location at Lokhandwala. The complainant was asked to pay franchisee fee of Rs 20 lakh plus GST on the execution of the franchisee agreement.

It was claimed that the complainant only paid Rs 5 lakh on the date of the agreement as a token amount. Thereafter, his father paid the remaining amount in instalments. However, a case against them was filed om Kamakshipalya police station, and Shetty was arrested.

Shetty contended that since he had been arrested, the complainant could not start the franchisee. He also claimed that he had no intention of cheating the complainant.

The court accepted the couple’s contentions and said, “on perusal of the documents on record, it is clear that there is a franchisee agreement... On the basis of that agreement amount is paid to the applicant by the complainant and his father. The nature of transaction is of purely of civil nature. Prima facie there is no intention of cheating... Due to delay in starting the business, the offence came to be registered against the applicant.”