A food delivery blunder earned a woman ₹1 lakh in compensation for a sandwich that cost just ₹145. This happened because her ordered vegan sandwich from a Bengaluru restaurant contained prawns, and the mistake led to a legal battle. The consumer commission has now directed the delivery platform and the restaurant to pay her.
Bengaluru Woman Gets Prawns In Vegan Sandwich
According to Moneycontrol, 37-year-old Nisha G ordered a vegan sandwich from Paris Panini via Swiggy on July 10, 2024. She turned vegan because she loved animals, and as soon as she took a bite, she noticed an unusual taste. When she checked, it turned out that her “vegan sandwich” had prawn pieces, leaving the Bengaluru woman shocked and triggering panic.
The following day, the Bengaluru woman visited the Paris Panini outlet, where she ordered the vegan sandwich, and the manager there admitted the mix-up and that the outlet mistakenly sent her a prawn sandwich. They said it was due to the “heavy rush” and offered her a replacement. She refused and said she felt “humiliated and spiritually violated.”
On July 20, 2024, Nisha G sent a legal notice to both Swiggy and Paris Panini, but received no response. She then filed a consumer complaint on August 22, 2024, citing a deficiency in service and breach of trust, and sought ₹2 lakh in compensation.
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Gets ₹1 Lakh In Compensation For Negligence
As per reports, Swiggy argued that it acted only as a technology platform connecting customers with restaurants, and that the sale agreement existed solely between the customer and the restaurant. Paris Panini acknowledged the mistake, calling it an unintentional error during peak hours. They, however, added that “a typical vegan would not have chosen our restaurant, as we serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.”
Now, the Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed Swiggy and Paris Panini to jointly pay ₹1 lakh. Here’s the breakdown–₹50,000 as compensation, ₹50,000 for mental agony, additional ₹5,000 towards litigation costs, and a refund of ₹146 (the original cost of the sandwich) with 12% annual interest from the date of the order till realisation.
In the court order, the commission said, “The act of sending non-vegetarian food to a vegan or a person having certain food restrictions on the basis of religion, culture or health, cannot be taken lightly. Such negligence has emotional, religious, and psychological consequences.”
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Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/Nadin Sh (representative image)
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