Grammy Award-winning musician and environmentalist Ricky Kej has alleged that Zomat’s delivery manager broke into his residence in Bengaluru and stole a manhole cover, raising concerns about the safety and accountability of last-mile deliveries.
The incident came to light after Kej shared CCTV clips and details of the alleged theft on Instagram, tagged the Zomato team and the Bengaluru Police and urged residents to remain vigilant.
“I was robbed,” Kej wrote, claiming the delivery man entered his home around 6 p.m. and ran off with the manhole cover. According to the composer, the individual allegedly returned 15 minutes early to survey the premises before committing the theft.
Kej said CCTV footage captured the suspect from two angles, along with images of the vehicle and a partial registration plate — a red Honda Activa with number KA03HY8751 (according to his post). He appealed to Zomato and law enforcement agencies to help identify the person involved.
“Pretty brave. Probably not their first time,” he wrote, warning others that similar incidents can happen to anyone.
Zomato is responsive
Zomato has since acknowledged Kej’s complaint on social media, describing the incident as “concerning” and saying it is investigating the matter. Further details on the company’s internal procedure or police involvement are awaited.
Bengaluru police respond
The Bengaluru city police also responded to the post, “Please share the location of the incident and your contact number through DM.
Who is Ricky Kej?
Ricky Kej was born in 1981 in North Carolina and moved to Bengaluru at the age of eight. He studied at Bishop Cotton School and later gained a degree in dentistry before choosing music as a full-time profession.
Over the years, Kej has become one of the most recognized Indian composers worldwide. He has released 24 studio albums, worked on more than 3,500 commercials and composed music for several feature films. A three-time Grammy winner, Kej is also a prominent advocate for the environment and has been honored as a UN Global Humanitarian Artist, with recognition from the Canadian Parliament for his advocacy.
The alleged theft has sparked wider online conversations about the verification of delivery people, housing security and platform accountability in urban India.
