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, on behalf of

themselves and other similarly situated current and

former restaurant workers employed by defendants,

Plaintiffs, ANSWER TO FIRST

AMENDED COMPLAINT

-againstDEVI RESTAURANT, LTD., and

RAKESH AGGARWAL,

Defendants.

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

(“Devi”),andRakeshAggarwal,bytheirattorneysMitchell&Incantalupo,asandfortheir

answer to the First Amended Complaint of the Plaintiffs, upon information and belief,

allege and state that they:

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

1. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“1”oftheFirst Amended

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

forth therein.

2. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“2”oftheFirst Amended

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

approximately August 27, 2007, when the restaurant closed.

3. Deny the allegations set forthinparagraph“3”oftheFirst Amended

Complaint.

Case 1:07-cv-03512-JSR Document 12 Filed 09/07/2007 Page 1 of 8
4. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“4”oftheFirst Amended

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

JURISDICTION

5. Deny the allegations set forthinparagraph“5”oftheFirst Amended

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

forth therein.

6. Deny the allegationssetforthinparagraph“6”ofthe First Amended

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

7. Denythetruthoftheallegationssetforthinparagraph“7”oftheFirst

Amended Complaint, except admit that the venue of this court is purportedly invoked as

set forth therein, and that Devi was located in Manhattan.

PARTIES

8. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“8”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint, except admit that some of the Plaintiffs used to work as a busser, stocker,

bartender or runner for Devi.

9. Deny the allegations set forth in paragraph“9”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

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

belief as to the truth or falsity of the allegationssetforthinparagraph“10”oftheFirst

Amended Complaint.

11. Deny the allegations setforthinparagraph“11”of the First Amended

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

of statutes are for the Court to determine.

Case 1:07-cv-03512-JSR Document 12 Filed 09/07/2007 Page 2 of 8
12. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“12”oftheFirstAmended

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.

13. Admittheallegationssetforthinparagraph“13”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

14. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“14”of the First Amended

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

of statutes are for the Court to determine.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

15. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“15”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

16. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“16”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

17. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“17”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

18. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“18”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

19. Admittheallegationssetforthinparagraph“19”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

20. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“20”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

21. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“21”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

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22. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“22”oftheFirst Amended

Complaint.

23. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“23”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

24. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“24”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

25. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“25”oftheFirst Amended

Complaint.

26. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“26”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

27. Deny the allegationssetforthinparagraph“27”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

28. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“28”oftheFirst Amended

Complaint.

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“28”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

30. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“30”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

31. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“31”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

32. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“32”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

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SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“32”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

34. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“34”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

35. Deny the allegations set forth inparagraph“35”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

36. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“36”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“36”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

38. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“38”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

39. Deny the allegationssetforthinparagraph“39”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“39”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

41. Deny the allegationssetforthinparagraph“41”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

42. Deny the allegationssetforthinparagraph“42”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

43. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“43”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

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44. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“44”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION

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

contained in paragraphs“1”through“44”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

46. Deny the allegationssetforthinparagraph“46”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

47. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“47”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

48. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“48”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“48”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

50. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“50”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

51. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“51”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

52. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“52”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

SEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“52”asifmorefullysetforthat length herein.

54. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“54”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

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55. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“55”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

56. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“56”oftheFirst Amended

Complaint.

EIGHTH CAUSE OF ACTION

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“56”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

58. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“58”of the First Amended

Complaint.

59. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“59”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

60. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“60”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

NINTH CAUSE OF ACTION

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“60”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

62. Deny the allegations set forth in paragraph“62”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

63. Deny the allegations set forth in paragraph“63”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

TWELFTH CAUSE OF ACTION (RETALIATION)

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

containedinparagraphs“1”through“63”asifmorefullysetforthatlengthherein.

65. Deny the allegationssetforthinparagraph“65”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

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66. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“66”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

67. Denytheallegationssetforthinparagraph“67”oftheFirstAmended

Complaint.

AS AND FOR A FIRST AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE

68. The Complaint fails to state a claim, in whole or in part upon which relief

may be granted.

AS AND FOR A SECOND AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE

69. 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

70. Plaintiffs have failed to mitigate their alleged damages.

AS AND FOR A FOURTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE

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

applicable statute of limitations.

WHEREFORE, defendants request judgment dismissing the Complaint and

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

including reasonable attorney fees.

Dated: September 7, 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

Facsimile: 718-575-7600

Attorneys for Defendants

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