Popular Cincinnati Indian Eatery Dusmesh Mired In Ugly Legal Fray: Parking Lot Beating Tied To Clifton Restaurant

Brawl Leads To Legal Battle

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Over the past couple years, food critics have been heaping praise on Ludlow Avenue's Dusmesh Indian Restaurant.  A CityBeat reviewer went so far as to call Dusmesh "not just another Indian restaurant in Clifton.  It is arguably the best."  There's been similar sentiment expressed on Urban Spoon and wine me, dine me.  Now there's a new dimension -- a lawsuit alleging that a restaurant worker viciously attacked a construction company owner in the restaurant's parking lot five months ago.  Hamilton County Common Pleas Court records disclose that Tim King -- a contractor from suburban Monroe -- claims the son of a Dusmesh owner was responsible for beating him over a remodeling dispute.   King's lawsuit says he "was beaten with a broom with such force that the handle broke and then he was stabbed in the forehead with the jagged end of the broom handle.  King required ambulance transfer to Good Samaritan Hospital where he received medical treatment including sutures to close the wound." 


Dusmesh is across from Cincinnati State at 944 Ludlow Avenue.  It is west of the strip where the Esquire Theater and Graeter's help anchor the shopping district.  King's lawsuit is Case No. A1105997 and is pending before Judge Ethna Cooper.  King's lawyer is Nicholas E. Bunch of White Getgey & Meyer.  Dusmesh is represented by lawyer Albert T. Brown, who has filed a response saying, "Any and all injuries claimed by the Plaintiff were the result of Avtar Dhillon's need to defend himself from actions of the Plaintiff."  Brown's version is that King assaulted and battered Avtar Dhillon.  But that is not the end of the story.  Dhillon pleaded guilty and was placed on one year's probation for a misdemeanor assault that was connected to the brawl.  He had faced two more serious felonies, but the charges were reduced.   Judge Robert Winkler handed down the sentence on October 13.  And Brown, the restaurant's lawyer, said that King abandoned the remodeling job and pocketed money that was paid in advance for work at Dushmesh.  Says Brown's court filing:  ". . . King has converted said funds to cash and secreted them for the purpose of defrauding creditors and . . . and avoiding currency reporting regulations imposed by the federal government on transactions exceeding $10,000."

As for the food, Brian Cross's review at CityBeat pretty much says it all about one of Cincinnati's top eateries. "This location used to house India Palace, so it’s not a new location for an Indian restaurant. But Dusmesh stands out by bringing something more to the table. The Dusmesh staff exhibits attention to detail in their food and service that gives them an edge over the competition in a neighborhood replete with Indian restaurants. And that’s exactly what’s going to keep this restaurant going — it’s not just another Indian restaurant in Clifton. It is arguably the best."