Now Reading: HC quashes Re 1 Pepsi overcharge case after 13 years
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HC quashes Re 1 Pepsi overcharge case after 13 years
The Bombay High Court has quashed a 13-year-old criminal case against a Ratnagiri man accused of overcharging a customer by Re 1 on a 600-ml Pepsi bottle. The court said the prosecution…
The Story in Brief
The Bombay High Court has quashed a 13-year-old criminal case against a Ratnagiri man accused of overcharging a customer by Re 1 on a 600-ml Pepsi bottle. The court said the prosecution was wholly misconceived because the man only prepared the bill on his wife's instructions; his wife owned the shop and made the actual sale. Under Section 2(r) of the Legal Metrology Act, writing a bill does not constitute a sale.
The case began in 2013 when a Legal Metrology inspector bought the bottle at Rs 26 against an MRP of Rs 25. The court also noted that the date on the bill had been overwritten from March to June, making the case doubtful. The man had earlier alleged the inspector demanded a bribe, which he refused.
The Indian Opinion
This ruling will inevitably feed two narratives: one that sees it as a classic case of petty harassment by inspectors, and another that fears it weakens MRP enforcement. Neither is quite right. The court did not legalise overcharging, it simply held that the wrong person was prosecuted. The actual seller, the wife, was never charged. With the offence carrying a fine of just Rs 2,000 and limitation periods long expired, fresh action is unlikely. The real test is whether authorities now go after the actual seller in future cases, or use this as an excuse to do nothing.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
