The message on the bill circled

Mumbai, July 23: Police have registered a complaint under a clause that deals with defamation against a restaurateur who printed a sarcastic message on bills he had been issuing to patrons.

The bills printed by Shrinivas Shetty, owner of Aditi restaurant in Parel, came with the message “As per UPA govt eating money (2G Coal, CWG Scam) is a necessity & eating food in AC restaurant is a luxury”.

The trigger appeared to be a 5 per cent service tax.

A Twitter user, who scanned one such bill, posted the photograph yesterday morning. The picture got retweeted multiple times.

By 2pm, a group of Mumbai Youth Congress workers led by president Ganesh Yadav and Congress MLA Kalidas Kolambkar had reached the restaurant with the police in tow. The police lodged a complaint under IPC Section 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) against Shetty.

“We have the right to protest against such defamatory statements,” Yadav said later. The joint, which had downed shutters, reopened in the evening.

Shetty was unavailable for comment. However, he told the Mid-Day he had to shut down the air-conditioned section after the government brought all AC eateries under the purview of the service tax in this year’s budget. “Where a (cup of) tea costs a mere Rs 12, why would someone pay 5 per cent service tax?” he said.