Software entrepreneur, family harassed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an incident that may bring disgrace to the tradition of hospitality that our Tourism Department boasts of, a group of tourists was allegedly manhandled by the employees of a beachside restaurant at Kovalam the other night.The family members of Vasudeva, a Bangalore-based software entrepreneur, who were spending their Dussehra holidays in the capital city, have lodged a complaint with the Kovalam police against the employees of Santana Food and Music Corner at Kovalam in this regard.The group consisted of 25 family members, including people as old as 60 to as young as two. They also cut short their tour following the incident and flew back to Bangalore on Friday evening, shortly after lodging the complaint.According to Vasudeva, they had to suffer the wrath of the restaurant employees since they raised their voice against the drunken behaviour of the latter. He alleged that all the employees at the restaurant were under the influence of alcohol when the incident occurred.The family, who were staying at Hotel See Weed at Kovalam, had gone to the restaurant to have dinner around 8.30 pm. However, after taking the orders for food for 25 people, the restaurant staff made the family wait for about two hours, that too serving food for just 19 people. They also handed over a bill of Rs 3,030.When the family pointed that there were still more people to be fed, the restaurant staff suddenly became agitated and tried to push them out of the restaurant. Vasudeva’s father, Ramanna, 60, suffered injuries after one of the hotel staff hit him with a wooden plank, he said."We had to cut short our holidays as the kids were terrified,’’ Vasudeva told City Express.Meanwhile, the restaurant management have also registered a complaint against the family alleging them of damaging restaurant property.