KOCHI: For Takeo Shikama, the Sakura Komichi Japanese Restaurant in Kochi is more than a business. It is a venture he said he built from the ground up after coming from Japan, investing money, developing the menu, and personally working to establish the restaurant in Kerala.
But a dispute with a person named Shanidh L, who is legally associated with the business, has now escalated into a legal battle, with Shikama and his associate, Haruhiko Otsuka, preparing to approach the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kakkanad.
The primary concern raised by Shikama and his associates is the financial management of the restaurant. According to their media statement, Shikama and Otsuka invested around Rs 50 lakh in the business. They said they have repeatedly sought details of how the company’s money was used, including bank statements, payment receipts, and tax-payment records, but have not been provided sufficient documentation.
“Shanidh would say the documents had already been shown, but when I asked to see them again, the records were allegedly not provided,” Shikama said.
The group wants the company’s financial transactions and fund flow to be properly examined. The dispute also concerns the ownership and financial structure of the restaurant.
According to Shikama’s statement, the company and restaurant-related licences were placed in Shanidh and his wife’s names after they were allegedly told that it would be difficult for a foreigner to establish the company and obtain the necessary licences in his own name. Shikama said he and Otsuka provided the funds believing they were investing in the business.
Shikama and his associates alleged that Shanidh has subsequently been interfering with the functioning of the restaurant, over which they are preparing to seek legal intervention.
According to Shikama, Shanidh recently approached a café partnered with the restaurant and allegedly told them that the restaurant was illegally serving alcohol and asked them not to provide drinks. Shikama rejected the allegation, saying Japanese people sometimes bring their own alcohol and consume it privately in a separate room, but that the restaurant has never served alcohol to customers.
Shikama further alleged that Shanidh repeatedly attempted to change the phone number on the restaurant’s Google Maps listing to his own number, including the number used by customers for reservations. He also alleged that Shanidh took control of the restaurant’s Instagram account, disconnected its Wi-Fi, and disabled its SIM card, affecting its operations.
“These things may seem small individually, but together they are seriously interfering with our business,” Shikama said. He said he wants Shanidh to stop allegedly spreading false information and interfering with its functioning and change the ownership of the restaurant to them as they solely financed the restaurant.
Shanidh, however, rejected Shikama’s allegations. He said Shikama had been in India for around three years and that he had earlier been asked by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to leave India. Shanidh also alleged that Shikama had come to India after perpetrating a major scam in Japan. Shikama refuted both allegations.
Further, Shanidh said the Japanese national had come to India on an employment visa and claimed that he had cancelled the visa. He also refuted Shikama’s allegation regarding cash transactions, saying he had received the amounts through bank accounts and not entirely in cash.
The media statement said the group has already approached police, seeking an investigation into the financial transactions, bank records, receipts, tax payments, and use of company funds. Meanwhile, Shanid has approached the Kerala High Court, seeking police protection.
Ownership concerns
The primary concern raised by Shikama and his associates is the financial management of the restaurant. According to their media statement, Shikama and Otsuka invested around Rs 50 lakh in the business. The group wants the company’s financial transactions and fund flow to be properly examined. The dispute also concerns the ownership and financial structure of the restaurant