A restauranteur in Tamil Nadu in India found himself in the pickle for not delivering, you guessed it, ‘pickle’. This is the story of complainant Mr. C Arokiasamy who had ordered 25 meals from Hotel Balamurugam restaurant for the 25 people community feast (Braham Bhoj) to mark the 1st anniversary of the passing away of a relative.
Before ordering 25 meal parcels from Hotel Balamurugan in November 2022, Mr. C Arokiasamy inquired about the menu of the meals which, was the restaurant told will include, for the price of ₹80 per meal parcel, White rice, Sambar, Kara Kuzhambu, Rasam, Buttermilk, Koottu, Poriyal, Appalam, Pickle, Large size Banana Leaves and a Cover. He accepted and paid ₹2000 for 25 meals to be delivered as agreed.
But when the meals were being served to the persons at the event Mr. C Arokiasamy found that pickles were missing from the meals.
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He immediately complained to the restaurant. They accepted the mistake and assured to deliver the same in time for the event but failed when the pickle arrived after all the guests had finished their lunch.
Claiming to have due to have suffered humiliation and embarrassment, he refused to accept the pickles and wanted full refund. He was also not given a proper bill or receipt for ₹2,000 for the purchase, having been only given a small slip.
He approached the Villupuram District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) (Consumer Court) in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram for relief. President D Satish Kumar and Members SM Meera Mohideen and K Amala ruled that the act of the restaurant owner amounted to deficiency in service.
The restaurant was ordered to pay ₹35,025 to C Arokiasamy.
“The act of the opposite party of not delivering pickles for 25 meals amounts to deficiency in service. It is also seen that the complainant had approached the opposite party and also sent letters to them for refund of the price of the pickle. Even then the opposite party failed to redress the grievance of the complainant amounts to deficiency in service”, the Commission said in the order.
“It is crystal clear that after receiving payment of ₹2000 towards parcel meals which includes the price of pickle as per Ex.A1, the act of the opposite party of not delivering pickles for 25 meals, and also not issued receipt for purchase of meals for ₹2000 amounts to deficiency in service. Due to the act of the opposite party the complainant suffered mental agony…” the Commission said.
The amount of ₹35025 Hotel Balamurugam was ordered to pay was made up of:
₹25 refund for the pickles;
₹30,000 as compensation for the physical hardship and mental agony suffered and
₹5,000 to the complainant towards litigation cost.