Sikh restaurateur detained by police amid protests after he refused to sell halal meat
West London restaurant row escalates after owner refuses to serve halal meat
A restaurant owner has said he is facing death threats and angry mobs over his refusal to sell halal meat at his west London restaurant.
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The Sikh restaurant owner, Harman Singh Kapoor, said he had faced months of harassment after the restaurant Rangrez publicly refused to serve halal meat.
The eatery, on Fulham Row in Hammersmith, displayed a large sign that reads: "Proudly we don't sell Halal".
Mr Kapoor said, as a Sikh, he preferred to serve jhatka meat, which some Sikhs consider religiously permissible in contrast to halal slaughter.
Jhatka is a method of slaughter, primarily practiced in Sikhism and Hinduism, where the animal is killed instantly with a single, swift strike— often by a sword or axe. Halal slaughter involves the animal’s throat being cut while it is still alive, and allowing it to bleed to death.
According to Mr Kapoor, the fallout of his refusal to serve halal included fake online reviews, threats and confrontations outside the restaurant.
He continued to share posts on X claiming the Islamic slaughter practice was "barbaric" and "promotes terrorism".
The situation intensified on Friday night, when a crowd gathered outside Rangrez. Social media posts claimed more than 100 people had surrounded the restaurant.
Two mayoral candidates in the upcoming London election have remained completely silent about the harassment, attacks, rape threats, and death threats my family and I faced simply because I chose to sell non-halal food in my restaurant.
— Harman Singh Kapoor (@kingkapoor72) March 16, 2026
This story has gone viral around the world… pic.twitter.com/HtuhBim21p
Kapoor posted videos describing the scene as threatening and said he had taken his kirpan, the ceremonial blade carried by observant Sikhs, to protect his family.
Earlier that day, Kapoor had promoted what he described as a “Non Halal meetup” at the restaurant, asking supporters to attend at 14:00 and bring recording equipment.
The post read: “Non Halal meetup! Today 2pm Rangrez restaurant. 14th March Saturday today. Please have recording equipment to help us record any troublemakers. Thank you and see you soon!”
He was allegedly arrested hours later as the crowd dispersed.
LBC contacted the Met Police for comment but they were unable to clarify the circumstances of the arrest or whether any charges have been filed.
Kapoor claimed that the Met arrested him for carrying a religious dagger.
Kapoor later wrote: “Two mayoral candidates in the upcoming London election have remained completely silent about the harassment, attacks, rape threats, and death threats my family and I faced simply because I chose to sell non-halal food in my restaurant.”
Rangrez previously announced it would close after 16 years.