Shwetal Sakaria, the owner of the car, has also alleged that the staff members of On Toes restaurant thrashed him when he angrily protested the theft
Shwetal Sakaria, the owner of the car, has also alleged that the staff members of On Toes restaurant thrashed him when he angrily protested the theft
A businessman based in central Mumbai has lodged complaints with the police, alleging that his expensive Pajero was stolen from the valet parking premises of the popular On Toes pub and restaurant in Bandra, on Saturday night. He also claims that the staff members thrashed him when he raised argued with them over the theft.u00a0 
Gone in 5 hours: Shwetal Sakaria (left) and his friend Yash Munim had
gone to the popular Bandra joint, On Toes, with their families for dinner,
when the former's car went missing. Pic/Datta Kumbhar and Santosh Nagwekar
Shwetal Sakaria (31) a resident of Matunga, is managing director of Arihant Chemical Co, which has its office in Peninsula Centre, Parel. Sakaria claims that he is a regular at the restaurant, located in Linking Road, Bandra (West).
On Saturday evening at around 7.30 pm, Sakaria visited the bar with his friend Yash Munim. Both were accompanied by their families.
While entering the restaurant, Sakaria handed over the key of his Pajero, with licence plate number MH 43 AF 621, to an attendant named Ram, who was stationed there to drive the vehicles to the valet parking lot. 
After wrapping up dinner by about 1.30 am, Sakaria and his friends emerged from the restaurant. He then asked Ram to retrieve the SUV from the valet parking area. A 45-minute-long wait ensued, but the car was nowhere in sight. Ram, the valet parking attendant, was also nowhere to be found. When an increasingly anxious Sakaria started enquiring of the whereabouts of his automobile, an attendant informed him that the vehicle had been stolen.
Sakaria alleged that one of the staff members rudely dismissed him, saying "teri gaadi chori ho gayi hai, ab chal fut yahaan se (your car has been stolen, now get lost)."
Infuriated, Sakaria was soon embroiled in a bitter argument with the attendant. Hearing the altercation, over a dozen employees of the restaurantu00a0-- most of them chauffeursu00a0-- rushed to the spot, and allegedly attacked Sakaria with bamboo sticks, kicking and punching him, severely injuring his limbs.
'No help from cops'
At around 3 am, Sakaria approached the Bandra police station to register an FIR against the On Toes staff members. He was shocked when the officer on duty asked him to get an official medical report before lodging any complaint.
Sakaria then approached Bhabha hospital, and got his medical tests done. At around 6 am on Sunday morning, an officer finally agreed to register a non-cognisable (NC) complaint against the staff members of On Toes. He also registered an FIR for the theft of the vehicle, which cost Sakaria Rs 16 lakh.
Sakaria added that the manager of the hotel had not appeared at any point in the ordeal, to offer any kind of assistance.
Copspeak
Senior Inspector of Bandra police station, Samad Shaikh said, "We have registered two complaints: an FIR for the stolen Pajero, and an NC regarding the alleged assault, in accordance with the complainant's claim and description."
The Other Side
Mahesh Singh, manager of On Toes Pub and Restaurant, confirmed the reports, saying, "While I was on my way home, I came to know that Sakaria's vehicle had been stolen. I immediately rushed back to the hotel, and subsequently went to the Bandra police station and helped register an FIR for the vehicle. I had no idea that my staff members were involved in a scuffle with Sakaria."
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