New Delhi: A dispute between a Dalit woman cook and a café operator in Delhi’s Moti Nagar, involving allegations of withheld wages, workplace harassment and a theft complaint against the worker, was resolved following the publication of a report by The Mooknayak.
The development came after The Mooknayak reported the woman’s complaint and sought the police version of the allegations. According to Sheetal Singh, the worker at the centre of the dispute, the matter was subsequently taken up at Moti Nagar Police Station, where police-mediated discussions resulted in the payment of her pending dues and the withdrawal of the theft complaint.
Sheetal Singh, 34, had been working as the main cook at Vidi Cafe near Gate No. 2 of Moti Nagar Metro Station. She said she was employed on a monthly salary of ₹22,000. A written reply to Sheetal's notice issued by the café operator, Vijay Singh, also acknowledged her employment and monthly salary, according to documents shared with The Mooknayak.
Sheetal alleged that she had raised objections over the use of what she described as poor-quality palm oil, stale or mouldy bread and expired food items at the café. She alleged that after the café operator came to know that she belonged to a Scheduled Caste, her treatment at the workplace changed.
According to her complaint, she was made to perform duties beyond cooking, including sweeping, deep cleaning and washing dirty utensils late at night. She also alleged that her wages were withheld.
After she stopped working on September 8 and demanded payment of her dues, Sheetal alleged that a complaint was made against her at Moti Nagar Police Station accusing her of stealing items including dal, oil and coffee pouches.
She denied the theft allegation and questioned the claim that ₹11,000 had allegedly been paid to her in cash. She sought documentary and CCTV evidence to establish what had actually happened.
Sheetal also alleged that a woman police constable, identified by her as Divya and stated to be posted at Rajendra Place police station, was associated with the café and had allegedly threatened her when she demanded her wages. These allegations were contained in Sheetal’s complaint and were not independently established by The Mooknayak.
The Mooknayak reported Sheetal’s allegations after she approached the publication with her complaint and supporting documents.
The report highlighted the central issue: a woman worker who was seeking payment of her wages was also facing a police complaint alleging theft.
The Mooknayak also sought the police version of the allegations, including the status of the theft complaint and the claims concerning the involvement of the serving police constable, however, the officials couldnt be reached.
On the morning of the settlement, Sheetal told The Mooknayak that she was receiving repeated calls asking her to come to the police station in connection with the theft matter.
The report brought the dispute into public view at a point when, according to Sheetal, she was seeking both her unpaid wages and protection from what she described as pressure and intimidation. Following publication of The Mooknayak’s report, Sheetal said the matter was taken up at Moti Nagar Police Station and that police officials initiated mediation between the two sides.
She said the dispute was formally resolved at the police station that day in the presence of a sub-inspector.
During the proceedings, a local Dalit community leader also reached the police station and intervened in the matter, according to Sheetal.
The most immediate outcome was the settlement of the wage dispute. Sheetal said her outstanding dues of ₹17,741 were paid.
She further informed The Mooknayak that the café operator gave a written statement confirming that the theft complaint had been dropped and settled.
According to Sheetal, police obtained written statements from both parties recording that the pending dues had been paid, the dispute had been resolved and neither side would pursue further legal complaints against the other.
The written undertaking, as described by Sheetal, effectively brought the dispute to an end.
Status after settlement: Sheetal said that no proceedings remained pending from either side following the settlement at Moti Nagar Police Station. The Mooknayak has not independently adjudicated the competing allegations made by Sheetal and the café management. The settlement resolved the immediate dispute between the two parties.
During the proceedings, Sheetal also sought CCTV footage from the café to verify the allegations surrounding the purported theft and the disputed cash-payment claim. She said the café management subsequently stated that the cameras were not working.
The sequence of events was significant for Sheetal: what began as a dispute over unpaid wages had escalated into a police complaint alleging theft, while she was simultaneously making allegations of workplace and caste-based harassment.
After The Mooknayak brought the matter into public view, Sheetal says the police-mediated process moved quickly and resulted in the payment of her outstanding dues and the withdrawal of the theft complaint.
For the worker, the immediate financial dispute was resolved and the threat of the theft complaint was removed through the written settlement.
Sheetal thanked The Mooknayak for reporting her case and said she believed the publication and subsequent intervention helped facilitate a swift resolution. The case also underscores a larger concern raised by Sheetal through her experience: how a vulnerable worker seeking unpaid wages can find herself simultaneously dealing with a police complaint and allegations of intimidation. "Today showed us firsthand how vulnerable workers from Scheduled Caste backgrounds are targeted, intimidated, and entangled in false police complaints simply for demanding their hard-earned wages. Without your immediate courage, reporting, and willingness to amplify our voice, we would have been entirely voiceless against such systemic power. We will remember this support for a lifetime," Sheetal stated in a gratitude note to The Mooknayak.
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