Now Reading: Delhi consumer court orders Swiggy, restaurant to pay Rs 1 lakh
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Delhi consumer court orders Swiggy, restaurant to pay Rs 1 lakh
A Delhi consumer court has directed Swiggy and Themis Barbeque House to jointly pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to a customer for displaying a misleading ‘cost for two’ on the Swiggy Dineout platform. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (North District), in an order passed on 21 September, held that the price shown was 40 to 47 per cent lower than the actual charge, amounting to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.
The commission rejected Swiggy’s argument that it was a mere intermediary protected under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, observing that such protection is conditional on due diligence, which Swiggy failed to demonstrate. The court also found that the restaurant had levied a 10 per cent service charge on beverages in violation of Delhi High Court directions, and ordered it to refund Rs 3,988 as excess charge and Rs 254 as service charge, both with 9 per cent annual interest from 7 April 2024.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both outlets cover the same order with near-identical facts. Hindustan Times leads with the Rs 1 lakh compensation figure and emphasises the commission’s rejection of Swiggy’s intermediary defence, while LiveLaw provides fuller procedural detail, including the ex parte proceedings against the restaurant and the refund breakdown. Neither outlet takes a pro-government or critical stance, the reporting is neutral and court-focused throughout. The balanced takeaway is that the ruling tightens platform accountability for price accuracy, with the 12 per cent interest penalty for delayed payment serving as the concrete enforcement mechanism.
The commission has directed payment within four weeks, failing which 12 per cent annual interest will apply on the entire awarded amount.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), livelaw.in (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
