Zomato, eatery fined ₹55,000 for serving chicken instead of paneer

Shanmukh Deshmukh had ordered paneer butter masala but was delivered butter chicken instead.

A consumer court here slapped a ₹55,000 fine on food delivery platform Zomato along with a hotel for delivering non-vegetarian food to a lawyer who had ordered a vegetarian dish.

Zomato told the consumer forum that the error lay with the hotel which supplied the wrong dish, but the forum considered it to be equally guilty. (HTFile)

According to media reports, the consumer court directed Zomato to pay the fine within 45 days to city-based lawyer Shanmukh Deshmukh who was delivered non-veg food not just once, but twice.

He had ordered paneer butter masala but was delivered butter chicken instead.

“Since the curries of both dishes look alike, he didn’t realise it was a chicken dish and ate it,” said the reports.

According to Zomato, the lawyer complained against the food delivery platform to defame it as it had refunded his amount.

Zomato told the consumer forum that the error lay with the hotel which supplied the wrong dish, but the forum considered it to be equally guilty.

The hotel, however, admitted its mistake.

Zomato and the hotel were directed to pay ₹50,000 for deficiency in service and the remaining amount for mental harassment.