A consumer court in Puducherry has penalised a restaurant after a customer found a dead insect in biryani, ordering compensation, costs and an unusual remedy of free food servings.
Puducherry: A consumer court in Puducherry has taken strict action against a restaurant after a customer found a dead insect in a serving of biryani, terming it a serious deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Incident reported at Biryani & Co
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The case involved a complaint against a Puducherry-based outlet, Biryani & Co, after a customer, P. Sundarakumara Manikandan, and his friend reportedly discovered a dead fly in their Hyderabadi chicken biryani on December 8, 2025. The incident was recorded on a mobile phone and later submitted as evidence.
Following the incident, the complainant issued a legal notice seeking compensation, alleging unhygienic food preparation practices and demanding ₹1,30,000. However, the restaurant did not respond satisfactorily, prompting the consumer to move the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
The case proceeded ex-parte as the restaurant authorities failed to appear despite being served notice. The bench, comprising S. Muthuvel, A.S. Suvitha, and G. Arumugam, examined the evidence submitted by the complainant, including video footage showing the presence of the insect in the food.
The commission observed that serving contaminated food amounts to a clear violation of consumer rights and constitutes negligence in service delivery.
Compensation and unique remedy ordered
The court ordered the restaurant to pay ₹10,000 as compensation and ₹3,000 towards litigation costs to the complainant.
In a rare directive, the commission also instructed the restaurant to provide 10 plates of Hyderabadi chicken biryani free of cost, to be served in instalments of two plates each over five consecutive Sundays, ensuring compliance with food safety standards. The order is to be implemented within two weeks.
The commission also noted inconsistencies in the restaurant’s response. While the establishment had reportedly issued a public apology on Google reviews, acknowledging the incident as isolated, it later denied responsibility after receiving the legal notice.
The court stated that such contradictory positions undermine credibility and further reinforced the finding of deficiency in service.
Published: 09 Jun 2026, 02:08 pm IST
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