Hereford Indian restaurant arrest prompts licence review

Police are calling for a Hereford Indian restaurant to lose its drinks and late food licence, following an arrest there for immigration offences.

An investigation at Razbari on Eign Street last week found one member of staff working there illegally, according to a report by a West Mercia Police superintendent, their name redacted, for Herefordshire Council.

The Bangladeshi citizen was on a student visa “but had not been to his university in Scotland since March”, the police report said.

And while his visa permitted him to work up to 20 hours a week, he told officers he had in fact been working full-time at the restaurant since March.

“His permission to stay was cancelled with immediate effect and he was detained for his removal from the UK,” the report said.

Given this, the question of whether the restaurant should lose its licence is to be decided by Herefordshire Council’s licensing subcommittee today (November 22).

This is not the first time concerns have been raised about the restaurant, according to a report for the meeting by the council’s senior licensing technical officer.

Police investigated a previous licence holder, Md Masud Ruhel Mintu, in October 2021 after a member of the his staff was arrested due to his immigration status, and two others also reported for overstaying their visas.

The restaurant’s licence was then then revoked. However shortly after, the council granted a licence to a new applicant at the premises, H F Business Ltd.

This was then transferred in March this year to another company, CT Indian Restaurant Ltd, with the designated premises supervisor again given as Usha Begum.

This currently allows the restaurant to sell alcohol until 11pm weekdays, until 11.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 10pm of Sundays.

It is also licensed to sell hot food until 11.30pm, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. A “late night refreshment” licence is required to sell hot food and drinks past 11pm.