Kerala restaurant owner faces arrest over Lord Krishna chicken ad backlash

A Vishu promotional image turned Mehar Mandi & Grills in Cherthala into a police case after a poster showing a young Lord Krishna seated before a plate of chicken mandi spread across WhatsApp and social media. What started as a festival greeting quickly turned into a disruption for the restaurant, with public outrage, protest threats and a complaint that prompted police to move in.

Cherthala police registered the case under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the provision covering wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot. The complaint was filed by a Cherthala resident, identified in different reports as Dini A.P. and M P Biju, a local advocate. Police also took precautionary steps after reports of a planned protest march, underscoring how fast a marketing mistake can spill from a screen into street-level unrest.

The restaurant owner, identified as Arshad and in one account as Arshad Asharaf, along with Shamnas Kunhimuhammed, apologised and said the poster had been created by a third-party designer or external agency without their approval. They said it was not used in the restaurant’s own promotional campaigns or social media handles. Even so, the image had already done its damage. Reports said Hindu Aikyavedi and temple-protection committees condemned the poster and called for a boycott, while the CPM Cherthala Area Committee urged strict legal action against those responsible for creating and circulating it.

The backlash hit during Vishu, Kerala’s Malayalam New Year and harvest festival, when depictions of Krishna carry extra sensitivity. Vishu rituals such as Vishukkani are closely tied to Lord Krishna, which made a poster pairing the deity with a non-vegetarian dish especially incendiary to many viewers. In a state where restaurant brands live and die by reputation, that kind of misfire can be operationally expensive fast.

Some reports said the accused were later released on bail after their statements were recorded, and others said the restaurant temporarily closed after the protests escalated. For workers, that means more than a social-media headache. A single campaign review failure can mean lost shifts, a lockup at the front door, and a scramble to explain why a promo designed to sell meals ended up drawing police attention instead.

The broader lesson for restaurant owners is blunt: festival marketing needs a final review for religious and political flashpoints before it goes live. In a market where one image can trigger a case, a boycott call and a shutdown, the cheapest risk control is still the simplest one, checking the art before it leaves the agency and lands in the public feed.