According to sources, the complainant is a 34-year-old IT professional residing in Malad. She filed the case after experiencing health issues following the consumption of the contaminated product in February 2019
Label of the packaging showing the packaged date, etc (right) The live worm inside the biscuit. Pics/By Special Arrangement
In a big win for consumer rights, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, South Mumbai, has ordered Britannia Industries Ltd. and a chemist based in Churchgate to pay a total of Rs 1.75 lakh to a consumer who discovered a live worm inside a packet of Good Day biscuits back in 2019.
According to sources, the complainant is a 34-year-old IT professional residing in Malad. She filed the case after experiencing health issues following the consumption of the contaminated product in February 2019.
Shocking discovery
As per the complaint, the woman had purchased the biscuit packet from M/s Ashok M Shah, an authorised retailer at Churchgate Station, while on her way to work in South Mumbai. Shortly after consuming two biscuits, she began feeling nauseous and vomited. Upon inspecting the packet, she was horrified to find a live worm inside.
When she returned to the shop to raise the issue, the shopkeeper allegedly dismissed her complaint. She also contacted Britannia’s customer care centre but reportedly received no satisfactory response.
Legal action
The consumer then preserved the contaminated biscuit packet, including its batch details, and submitted it to the Food Analyst Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The lab report confirmed the presence of worms and declared the product unfit for human consumption.
Following this, she issued a legal notice to Britannia on February 4, 2019, seeking compensation. With no response from the manufacturer, she filed a formal complaint in March 2019 under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, seeking '2.5 lakh for mental agony and '50,000 for litigation costs.
Court observations
Speaking to mid-day, Advocate Pankaj Kandhari, who represented the complainant, said, “The woman, as part of her daily routine, purchased the biscuit from the Churchgate shop and fell sick after eating it. She acted responsibly by preserving the sample and getting it tested. The report proved the product was unfit for consumption. Yet, neither the retailer nor the manufacturer offered compensation, leaving her with no option but to seek justice through the court.”
Advocate Kandhari added that the case underwent 30 to 35 hearings over several years. On June 27, the court ruled in favour of the complainant, ordering Britannia to pay '1.5 lakh in compensation and the shopkeeper to pay '25,000 — both within 45 days of the judgment. The court further stated that if either party fails to comply, they will be liable to pay 9 per cent interest per annum on the awarded amount until full payment is made.
mid-day contacted Britannia’s lawyer, RD Khare, to present the company’s side, but did not receive any response till press time. mid-day also contacted Britannia’s Public Relations Officer, for an official statement. The officer said he would speak to senior officials and get back. However, no reply was received till press time.
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