Bought Maggi from Vishal Mega Mart, ended up in hospital: Consumer court slaps retailer with Rs 2.8 lakh penalty
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Andhra Pradesh, in its verdict dated July 10, termed the sale of expired food as a “serious violation of consumer rights” and imposed a total penalty of Rs 2.8 lakh.
As reported by Times of India, the case dates back to March 20, 2025, when P. Sravan Kumar, a resident of Yemmiganur in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, purchased two packets of Maggi Atta Instant Noodles from Vishal Mega Mart outlet.
That night, after eating the noodles, Kumar reportedly Fever, vomiting and severe stomach pain developed. A nearby hospital diagnosed him with food poisoning.
When he later checked the second package, he discovered that the noodles had expired on March 18, 2025, two days before they were sold to him.
Kumar then sent a legal notice to the retailer seeking compensation. When he did not get a response, he approached the consumer commission, demanding Rs 5 lakh as compensation and punitive damages.
Despite receiving notice, Vishal Mega Mart reportedly did not appear before the commission or make any reply. The bench observed that the complainant’s evidence, including the expired packet, purchase receipt, payment record, medical prescription and legal notice evidence, remained completely unchallenged.
The Commission ruled that the sale of expired food amounted to gross negligence and obvious lack of service.
In a strongly worded order, the commission said the incident could not be viewed as an isolated error.
It has been observed that the sale of expired products raises concerns that similar defective or expired products may have been sold to unsuspecting consumers, which could pose a serious threat to public health.
The commission also ruled that the retailer made unfair profits by selling expired products and ordered that the penalty amount be in the public interest.
The Commission partially accepted the complaint and directed Vishal Mega Mart as follows:
Pay Rs 25,000 to the complainant for mental anguish.
Pay Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.
Deposit Rs 2.5 lakh as punitive damages to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
The retailer was given 45 days to comply with the order, failing which interest at 9% per annum will be charged on the entire amount until payment is made.
