UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

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HELAL AHMED, PARVEZ ALI, MD. G. MIAH,

ENAMUL SHAKUR, CARLOS ORTIZ, 07 Civ. 3512 (JSR) (FM)

GRZEGORZ KOCIECKI, MAHBUBUL KARIM,

TANVIR SHAHID, ADRIAN DOMINGUEZ RESENDIZ,

CESAR ABAMBARI, HORACIO HERNANDEZ,

JOSE REYES, PATRICIO GONZALEZ,

SHAILENDRA SHRESTHA, AND ROHIT TALWAR, ANSWER TO SECOND

MARCOS REYES, ROBERTO SEGUNDO, AMENDED COMPLAINT

FELIX SEGUNDO, and AUGUSTIN REYES, on behalf of

themselves and other similarly situated current and

former restaurant workers employed by defendants,

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

Plaintiffs,

-againstDEVI RESTAURANT, LTD., RAKESH AGGARWAL,

SUVIR SARAN, and HEMANT MATHUR,

Defendants.

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Defendants, 8 East 18th Street Restaurant, LLC, s/h/a Devi Restaurant, Ltd.,

(“Devi”),andRakeshAggarwal,bytheirattorneysMitchell & Incantalupo, as and for their

answer to the Second Amended Complaint, allege and state that they:

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

1. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“1”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that Plaintiffs purport to proceed against Defendants as set

forth therein.

2. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“2”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that Devi was owned and operated by defendant Aggarwal until

approximately August 27, 2007, when the restaurant closed.

3. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“3”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

Case 1:07-cv-03512-JSR Document 15 Filed 10/17/2007 Page 1 of 8
4. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“4”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that Plaintiffs purport to proceed as set forth therein.

JURISDICTION

5. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“5”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that the jurisdiction of this Court is purportedly invoked as set

forth therein.

6. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“6”oftheSecond Amended

Complaint, except admit that Plaintiffs purport to proceed as set forth therein.

7. Admit that Devi was located in Manhattan.

PARTIES

8. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“8”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that some of the Plaintiffs used to work for Devi serving

customers.

9. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“9”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that some of the Plaintiffs used to work for Devi in the kitchen.

10. Deny that they possess knowledge or information sufficient to form a

beliefastothetruthorfalsityoftheallegationssetforthinparagraph“10”oftheSecond

Amended Complaint.

11. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“11”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint require a response and affirmatively assert that the meaning and construction

of the statutes are for the Court to determine.

12. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“12”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that Devi had annual gross sales in excess of $500,000.00.

Defendants further affirmatively respond that Devi was a limited liability corporation

formed and organized under the laws of the State of New York in 2002 under the name

8 East 18th Street Restaurant, LLC.

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13. Admit the allegations set forthinparagraph“13”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

14. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“14”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that Suvir Saran was a chef at Devi until it closed.

15. Deny the allegations set forth in paragraph“15”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint, except admit that Hemant Mathur was a chef at Devi until it closed.

16. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“16”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint require a response and affirmatively assert that the meaning and construction

of the statutes are for the Court to determine.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

17. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“17”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

18. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“18”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

19. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“19”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

20. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“20”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

21. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“21”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

22. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“22”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

23. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“23”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

24. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“24”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

Case 1:07-cv-03512-JSR Document 15 Filed 10/17/2007 Page 3 of 8
25. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“25”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

26. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“26”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

27. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“27”oftheSecond Amended

Complaint.

28. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“28”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

29. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“29”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

30. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“30”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION

31. Denythattheallegationssetforthinparagraph“31”oftheSecond

Amended Complaint require a response.

32. Defendants Devi and Aggarwal repeat, reiterate and reallege each and

every answercontainedinparagraphs“1”through“31”asifmorefullysetforthatlength

herein.

33. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“33”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

34. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“34”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

35. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“35”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

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SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION

36. Defendants Devi and Aggarwal repeat, reiterate and reallege each and

everyanswercontainedinparagraphs“1”through“35”asifmore fully set forth at length

herein.

37. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“37”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

38. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“38”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

39. Deny the allegations set forth in paragraph“39”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION

40. Defendants Devi and Aggarwal repeat, reiterate and reallege each and

everyanswercontainedinparagraphs“1”through“39”asifmorefullysetforthatlength

herein.

41. Deny theallegationssetforthinparagraph“41”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

42. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“42”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION

43. Defendants Devi and Aggarwal repeat, reiterate and reallege each and

everyanswercontainedinparagraphs“1”through“42”asifmorefullysetforthatlength

herein.

44. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“44”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

45. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“45”oftheSecond Amended

Complaint.

Case 1:07-cv-03512-JSR Document 15 Filed 10/17/2007 Page 5 of 8
46. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“46”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

47. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“47”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION

48. Defendants repeat, reiterate and reallege each and every answer

containedinparagraphs“1”through“47”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

49. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“49”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

50. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“50”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

51. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“51”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION

52. Defendants repeat, reiterate and reallege each and every answer

containedinparagraphs“1”through“51”as if more fully set forth at length herein.

53. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“53”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

54. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“54”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

55. Deny the allegations set forth inparagraph“55”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

SEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION

56. Defendants repeat, reiterate and reallege each and every answer

containedinparagraphs“1”through“55”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

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57. Deny the allegationssetforthinparagraph“57”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

58. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“58”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

59. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“59”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

EIGHTH CAUSE OF ACTION

60. Defendants repeat, reiterate and reallege each and every answer

containedinparagraphs“1”through“59”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

61. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“61”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

62. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“62”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

63. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“63”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

NINTH CAUSE OF ACTION

64. Defendants repeat, reiterate and reallege each and every answer

containedinparagraphs“1”through“63”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

65. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“65”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

66. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“66”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

TWELFTH CAUSE OF ACTION (RETALIATION)

67. Defendants repeat, reiterate and reallege each and every answer

containedinparagraphs“1”through“66”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

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68. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“68”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

69. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“69”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

70. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“70”oftheSecondAmended

Complaint.

AS AND FOR A FIRST AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE

71. All or part of the claims asserted herein by Plaintiffs are barred by the

applicable statute of limitations.

AS AND FOR A SECOND AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE

72. Defendants had legitimate business reasons for taking any of the acts

alleged by the plaintiffs to have been retaliatory.

AS AND FOR A THIRD AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE

73. Plaintiffs have failed to mitigate their alleged damages.

WHEREFORE, defendants 8 East 18th Street Restaurant, LLC, s/h/a Devi

Restaurant, Ltd., and Rakesh Aggarwal request judgment dismissing the Complaint and

denying all relief requested therein, together with the costs of defending this action,

including reasonable attorney fees.

Dated: October 17, 2007

Forest Hills, New York MITCHELL & INCANTALUPO

By:__________/S/____________

Arthur H. Forman (AF-9646)

98-20 Metropolitan Avenue

Forest Hills, New York 11375

Tel: 718-997-1000

Attorneys for defendants 8 East 18th

Street Restaurant, LLC, s/h/a Devi

Restaurant, Ltd., and Rakesh

Aggarwal

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