Delivery platform, Hyderabad eatery fined Rs 50k for serving non-veg food to veg consumer

Hyderabad: The Rangareddy district consumer disputes redressal forum fined a food delivery app and a restaurant for delivering non-vegetarian food to a customer who ordered a vegetarian dish.

The eatery, Big Bowl Chinese restaurant, and delivery app, Zomato, were imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 by the commission and instructed them to pay the penalties to the customer.

In his complaint, the customer, who is a practicing ‘strict vegetarian’ for 29 years, said he ordered a “Big Bowl Special Chopsuey” which was labelled as a vegetarian item on Zomato app’s menu from Big Bowl Chinese restaurant in Kondapur.

The complainant further stated that he received an incomplete order, so he requested a replacement. After consuming the dish, he found that it was non-vegetarian which violated his religious sanctity.

Finding both parties guilty of deficiency in service, the commission announced the decision in favour of the complainant. During the hearing, Zomato argued it was merely an intermediary platform. The delivery platform’s representative also noted that it already refunded the order amount, implicitly acknowledging its error. Recorded conversations submitted as evidence showed that both parties admitted their mistake and apologised to the complainant. However, the restaurant did not respond to court notices and also remained absent during the proceedings.

According to the order, both parties have been instructed to pay Rs 5,000 each as compensation to the complainant, Rs 5,000 each towards litigation costs, and Rs 15,000 each as punitive damages to the Consumer Welfare Fund. The Commission also ordered the parties to implement stricter measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

In his complaint, the customer demanded Rs. 20 lakh in damages, but the commission awarded a more modest compensation for the deficiency in service. The delivery platform and the restaurant have been ordered to comply with the ruling by April 2025 and in the event of non-compliance, they will be required to pay double the awarded compensation.

Zomato & Kondapur Restaurant Fined ₹50K for Serving Non-Veg to Veg Customer

In a major consumer rights ruling, the Rangareddy District Consumer Commission has fined Zomato & Big Bowl Chinese ₹50,000 for delivering non-veg food to a strict vegetarian in Hyderabad. The… pic.twitter.com/K4het7f3To

— Hyderabad Mail (@Hyderabad_Mail) March 23, 2025