On Friday, 6 February 2026, Vikas Nath, the 63-year-old owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Benares, was found guilty by a UK jury of attempting to administer a substance with intent to commit a sexual offence and possession of a Class B drug.
The conviction follows an incident at Annabel’s, a private members’ club in Mayfair, where Nath laced a woman’s cocktail with the date-rape drug gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) while she was away from the table.
Although Nath claimed he only intended to help the woman “relax,” prosecutors presented explicit private messages revealing a calculated motive to “overpower or stupefy” her for sex.
Alert bar staff, who witnessed Nath using a straw to transfer the liquid from a bottle disguised as vanilla extract, intervened before the victim could consume the drink. Nath was remanded in custody following the verdict and is scheduled for a further hearing on 16 February 2026.
London Drink Spike Case
The case has sent shockwaves through London’s elite hospitality circles, as Vikas Nath was a prominent figure known for managing a portfolio of high-end restaurants across the UK and Spain.
The incident occurred in January 2024 at the rooftop garden bar of Annabel’s, where Nath had invited the victim for a drink. The court heard that the victim, who considered Nath a caring friend during a difficult period in her life, initially defended him and even apologised to him when staff first intervened.
This psychological manipulation was further evidenced by texts Nath had sent her previously, where he ironically warned her to be aware of people spiking her drink.
However, a police search of Nath’s Knightsbridge home later recovered two bottles of GBL and a motion-sensor covert camera pointed at his bed, supporting the prosecution’s argument of a planned predatory pattern.
Forensic Evidence
The prosecution’s case was anchored by CCTV footage and forensic analysis of the spicy margarita, which confirmed the presence of GBL, a dangerous substance that the body converts into GHB.
Detective Constable Louis Prior, from the Met’s Public Protection Command, described Nath’s actions as “despicable and sinister,” praising the venue’s staff for their vigilance.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Timothy Greaves echoed this sentiment, asserting that spiking is an incredibly serious offence that leaves victims traumatised.
He noted that despite Nath’s attempts to destroy evidence by throwing the vial into a toilet cistern, where it was later recovered by police, the jury rejected his claims that he only wanted to “relax” a woman he had described in texts to friends as “eminently f***able.”
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that true safety in our social spaces is built on the pillars of mutual respect and the absolute right to bodily autonomy. The conviction of such a high-profile individual serves as a grim reminder that predatory behaviour is not confined by social status or professional accolades.
We must foster a culture where bystanders and hospitality staff feel empowered to intervene, as their quick thinking in this case undoubtedly prevented a tragedy.
While legal justice is being served, we must also address the systemic issues of entitlement and the dangerous normalization of “relaxant” excuses that mask criminal intent.
Also Read: Indian Restaurateur Vikas Nath Admits to Spiking Woman’s Drink at London Club
