After flak, McDonald's now serve street kids

Mumbai, Jan 21: When the pompous staff at a McDonald's in Pune evicted an eight-year-old street boy from its premises recently, they may not have anticipated the fallout. It was a Mumbai-based businesswoman, Shaheena Attarwala, and some friends who took the young Akash Pawar to the outlet when he begged for food to eat. But the adamant staff apparently did not share her charitable intentions and gruffly ordered the boy to leave, despite protests by the kind hostess and other customers. The staff even cited a 'high alert' at the premises, following the 2012 serial bombings in Pune, for their conduct. As McDonald's security guards dragged out the boy by his shirt collar, Shaheena bought him a special item on the menu and handed it to Akash who quietly ate it outside. Later, Shaheena lodged a complaint with McDonald's. When the incident was highlighted in the media, social networks went wild with calls to discipline, boycott or ban the American fast food giant in India. Stung by the public anger, McDonald's immediately ordered an inquiry and suspended at least one security guard. "We are committed to instilling in all our staff and partners the need to set the highest standards of courtesy and respect. We wish to affirm that we treasure and respect everyone in equal measure and do not support any discrimination," McDonald's India said. This is not the first time the Pune outlet was accused of high-handedness.