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Damage wasn�t on the menu Mail Tribune /Jim Craven Brad Sutton of the ServiceMaster cleaning company helps clear debris from the floor of India Palace on Saturday. The Medford restaurant sustained about $25,000 worth of damage in a vadalism attack on Friday. India Palace owners vow not to let vandalism shut them down By Jill Briskey Every new business hopes for publicity, but talking about the $25,000 worth of vandalism at India Palace is not what co-owner Avtar Singh had in mind. "This is not what we wanted," Singh said, pointing to the mess inside his restaurant in the Blue Sky Plaza off of Biddle Road. The interior of the business was torn apart Friday sometime between 1 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday, police arrested 19-year-old Ashland resident Damandip Singh Basra in his home for his suspected involvement in the crime. Basra was charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree criminal mischief and attempted arson. He was lodged in jail without bail on an immigration hold for being an illegal alien. As the day progressed at the restaurant, so did the discoveries. And so far, none of them are good. A hole was found, one smashed into the wall and discovered underneath food that had dried and crusted to the freshly painted interior. Cloth rags had been burned in a tandoor clay oven, which destroyed the $3,000 piece of equipment. The air, thick with the scents of expensive exotic spices imported just last week, has yet to clear. "All of our food, our groceries, spices and equipment, all of it is ruined," Tammy Kaur, another of the restaurant�s owners said. "There�s glass broken all over, there�s curry, and food. They didn�t just break everything. They cut wires so things couldn�t be fixed." During the attack, food was splashed and spilled over the walls. The refrigerators� contents were strewn about, dishes broken and all of the ovens and the buffet heating system destroyed. It is a comfort to know, Kaur added, that the Medford Police Department spent all of Friday fingerprinting and investigating, and made the arrest so quickly. "We cried when it happened," Kaur admitted of the arrest. "They restored our faith." Although attempts to contact the Medford detective in charge of the case were unsuccessful, Medford Sgt. Dave Ryder said "there are still some loose ends to tie up at this point." The investigation is ongoing, he added. None of the surrounding businesses were vandalized. Missing from the scene were three surveillance cameras. One, Kaur said, may contain video footage of the damage. Although the back door did not sustain damage, police and Kaur speculated that was how Basra allegedly entered the building. "Nothing was stolen, everything was either broken or vandalized," Kaur said. At the time, the cash register held a large amount of change. A basket full of tips, totaling almost $100, Kaur said, remained untouched. A glass candy dispenser was smashed, its coins spilt all over the floor. No money was missing from the dispenser either, Kaur added. "This was done to shut us down," she said. But the three owners and two partners of India Palace won�t let that happen. "When you build a business, it is you," Kaur said. "Your heart is in it. This didn�t just affect us, it affected our families." The insurance company is helping with clean-up, Singh said, and the community support has been overwhelming. "They encourage us. It doesn�t let our spirits get down," he said. "We�ve got something from them. They are with us in spirit." Ironically, Kaur said they had an appointment with an alarm company Monday to install a security system. The owners will still install the system, and add a dead-bolt lock to the back door. They just hope the damage and vandalism won�t hurt business and drive away customers. "Our food is a lot better on a plate than on a wall," Kaur said, glancing around at the mess. "It looks better too." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.