In a quirky consumer dispute, the Mumbai Consumer Court dismissed a ₹6 lakh compensation claim filed by two self-declared vegetarians who alleged they were wrongly served non-veg momos.
The Mumbai Suburban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission rejected a complaint filed by two people who claimed to have been served non-vegetarian food when they were staunch vegetarians. The commission noted that if eating non-vegetarian food injures one’s religious sentiments, then such persons should ideally not order from restaurants that serve vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food.
The complainants had ordered a steamed ‘Darjeeling momo combo’ and a soft drink at a momo stall in Sion, Mumbai. They said they had mentioned their vegetarian option twice while ordering. But when it was delivered to them, they allegedly got chicken momos, which gave them mental trauma and caused emotional distress. They sought a compensation of ₹6 lakh on grounds of hurting their religious sentiments.
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The restaurant, however, responded that the complainants themselves had requested non-vegetarian dishes, as indicated in the bill. The complainants were also accused by the company of abusing employees verbally and physically, causing disruptions at the outlet. The restaurant went ahead and returned the order, gave the products free of charge, and even offered a 1,200 gift card as a gesture of goodwill. The company also claimed that the demand for ₹6 lakh compensation was made in malafide intent to harass.
Analyzing the evidence, the commission observed that the display board may not have served to clearly mention whether the Darjeeling momo combo was veg or non-veg but stated “veg/non-veg” options at the bottom. Further, the complainants have not presented any evidence of religious ceremonies which were claimed to have been disturbed.
Stressing personal responsibility, the commission said, “A sensible person would be able to differentiate between veg and non-veg food prior to consuming.” It held that no lack of service by the company was proven and rejected the complaint.
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