The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission bench, led by President Divya Jyoti Jaipuriar, issued an order on 21 September that Swiggy and Themis Barbeque House must jointly compensate a customer with Rs 1 lakh for mental agony, harassment, inconvenience and litigation costs. The decision stemmed from a complaint lodged by advocate Praveen Kumar Singh after he booked a table for 14 people at the restaurant on 7 April 2024 via Swiggy’s Dineout section.
The Swiggy Dineout listing advertised a "cost for two" of Rs 1,500, implying Rs 750 per person, yet the restaurant charged Rs 1,050 for a vegetarian buffet and Rs 1,100 for a non‑vegetarian buffet—adding Rs 300 and Rs 350 per person, respectively. The commission found the 40‑47% disparity material and ruled that Swiggy’s failure to reconcile displayed prices with actual billing amounted to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
Responsibility was split: the restaurant was ordered to refund Rs 3,988 for the overcharged buffet and Rs 254 for an undisclosed 10% service charge on beverages, both with nine percent annual interest. Swiggy was deemed not protected under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act because it had no mechanism to verify the listed price.
Both parties must pay the compensatory amount within four weeks of the order. Non‑compliance will trigger a 12 percent annual interest penalty on the total awarded. The commission’s ruling underscores the platform’s duty to maintain accurate pricing and signals a stricter enforcement climate for food delivery services in Delhi.