Oly Pub ‘steak’ row: Waiter gets bail, draws solidarity from Kolkattans

Kolkata: Oly Pub, one of Kolkata’s oldest and most iconic restaurants on Park Street, has for decades been a gathering place for generations of Bengalis to talk over drinks and food.

The familiar mood of the space was disrupted recently after actor and YouTuber Sayak Chakraborty accused the restaurant of serving beef instead of mutton, alleging that the incident hurt his religious sentiments.

Chakraborty claimed that he had ordered a mutton steak but was served a beef steak, which he said he realised only after consuming the entire dish.

He accused the waiter, Sheikh Nasimuddin, of having done so “intentionally” and later lodged a formal complaint at Park Street Police Station on January 30.

Following the complaint, Nasimuddin was arrested under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). In an attempt to avoid further controversy, Oly Pub remained closed for two days.

The episode, however, triggered a wider response across the city. Many Kolkata residents, civil society members and human rights groups publicly expressed solidarity with the waiter, terming the incident a mistake rather than a communal act. Several individuals and organisations also filed complaints against Chakraborty, accusing him of attempting to give the issue a communal colour.

The controversy intensified after Chakraborty uploaded a video on social media in which he referred to his upper-caste identity and questioned the waiter about his religion. Although the video was deleted within hours, it had already gone viral and was shared by some prominent Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. Oly Pub later issued an apology, describing the mistake as “unintentional”, after which Chakraborty announced his decision to withdraw his complaint.

Despite the controversy, many saw the public response as a reaffirmation of the city’s long-held non-communal character. A staff member of Oly Pub informed that beef steak has emerged as the most ordered dish at the restaurant since the incident went viral.

In the latest development, on Tuesday, Nasimuddin was granted bail after appearing virtually before Chief Judicial Magistrate Payel Banerjee. Other staff members of Oly Pub were present during the proceedings in a show of solidarity with their colleague.

Reacting to the bail order, Oly Pub owner Azmeen Tangri said: “We are relieved and happy that Nasimuddin got bail,” and confirmed that there was no question of terminating his services.