Charging Rs 2 extra for a bottle of water has proved costly for a restaurant in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, with a consumer commission directing it to pay Rs 1.06 lakh in penalties and compensation.
At the heart of the case is the BBCN Royal Restaurant and Party Hall, which was accused of charging Rs 20 for a bottle of water with a maximum retail price (MRP) of Rs 18 and levying GST separately.
A complaint was filed with the consumer commission over the alleged overcharging.
According to advocate Ankur Agrawal, who represented the complainant, the restaurant refused to refund the extra amount when the issue was raised. Instead, it allegedly responded, “If ours were a big hotel, we would charge Rs 50 for the same bottle.”
A legal notice was subsequently sent to the restaurant, but it did not respond. The matter was then taken to the Aligarh District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
Agrawal said the restaurant failed to appear before the commission despite being served multiple notices. The commission eventually proceeded ex parte, meaning it heard the matter in the restaurant’s absence.
The commission directed the restaurant to deposit Rs 1 lakh into the District Consumer Welfare Fund, pay Rs 5,000 towards the advocate’s fees and provide Rs 1,000 as compensation for mental distress.
What began as a dispute over an extra charge of just Rs 2 has now cost the restaurant Rs 1.06 lakh in penalties and compensation.
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Inputs from Mohd Akram Khan
