The Sikh owner of a London-based Indian restaurant was briefly detained by the police on Saturday, following days of controversy over his refusal to sell halal meat. Indian-origin restaurateur Harman Singh Kapoor had earlier claimed that he had become the target of Muslim protesters over his refusal to sell halal.
Kapoor had posted frequently about being threatened and intimidated by members of what he referred to as the “peaceful community” for not selling halal food. Videos he had shared online earlier captured groups of protesters outside his restaurant Rangrez in London.
(Also read: Indian restaurant owner in London refuses to sell halal, takes on police and protesters)
Sikh restaurant owner arrested
On Saturday, footage of Harman Singh Kapoor being handcuffed by police officers inside his restaurant emerged online. Visuals also showed him being led away by cops and forced into a police van.
The Metropolitan Police has not released any information about his arrest. HT.com has reached out to Met Police for more details, and this copy will be updated on receiving a response.
It is not clear how long Kapoor was detained by the cops, but at the time of writing he had been released from police custody.
Addressing his arrest, he said he was unfairly targeted by the authorities in London. “All I did was protect my family, yet I was the one arrested. Instead of protecting us, the police targeted my religion — my Sikh faith and my beliefs. This is deeply troubling,” he said in response to a post discussing his arrest.
Some background on the case
Kapoor’s run-ins with protesters gained wider attention in February 2026, when he shared an X post claiming that he had been forced to shut Rangrez — the restaurant he ran for 16 years — due to “ongoing online harassment, repeated disturbances and attacks by Pakistanis and a lack of proper support from the Met Police.”
(Also read: Indian restaurant in London shuts after 16 years, owner blames ‘online harassment, attacks by Pakistanis’)
A few days later, he posted a new video showing himself in a heated confrontation with protesters outside his restaurant. Kapoor said they were protesting against a sign posted outside his restaurant where he declared “We don’t serve halal”.
