A South Delhi restaurant, which allegedly denied entry to a disability rights activist on Holi (March 6), was found to have been “insensitive” towards him as per a magisterial inquiry ordered by the Delhi Government.

Ordered by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia after the incident began doing the round on Twitter, the report concluded that footage from a CCTV installed outside the restaurant showed that the restaurant’s staff members stopped Nipun Malhotra from entering it, said the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).

The SDM, in his report, recommended that the government give a stern warning to the restaurant management and frame guidelines on sensitive behaviour towards differently-abled persons in the Capital. The report has been submitted to the office of the Deputy CM.

Mr. Malhotra, who was born with arthrogryposis, a rare congenital disorder, which leads to lack of muscles in arms and legs, had allegedly been denied entry at restaurant Keya, at the DLF Promenade Mall in Vasant Kunj on the evening of March 6.

Even the call records of Mr. Malhotra were found to show that he had called the manager of the restaurant several times on the evening of March 6 despite which he was not allowed access.

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate is also leant to have recommended some guidelines according to which every person, including the differently-abled, get right to admission and there should be no violation of human rights.

The Delhi Government is expected to issue a warning to the restaurant in the coming days in addition to issuing an advisory to all restaurants, bars and pubs operational in the Capital directing them to deal with differently-abled persons in a sensitive manner.

Source:  http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/restaurant-was-insensitive-to-disability-rights-activist-report/article6997508.ece