A woman from Chandigarh had gone to a restaurant with her family. The total bill, including GST, came to ₹1922. The woman was shocked to see the bill breakdown. During the meal, she had ordered bottled drinking water (packaged drinking water). The bill showed that the bottle was charged at ₹55, although the MRP written on the bottle was ₹20. The customer could not accept this matter. According to an Economic Times report, this incident occurred at a restaurant in Chandigarh in December 2023.
The woman approached the District Consumer Commission with this complaint. Her complaint was dismissed there. The woman did not give up. She appealed to the State Commission, where she argued her own case.
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Why was extra money charged?
During the hearing, the restaurant's lawyer claimed that the restaurant provides AC, seating space, ambience and service. It was claimed that the restaurant's prices are higher due to this premium. But Chandigarh's SCDRC (State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission) rejected this claim. The commission clearly stated that any restaurant can set the prices of its food and beverages as they wish. But this cannot happen in the case of any pre-packaged food item. For packaged drinking water, where MRP is written, no extra price can be charged under any circumstances.
According to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Act of 2011, no item can be sold at a price higher than its MRP. Doing so is equivalent to breaking the law. The State Commission stated that the restaurant charged extra for the water bottle. According to the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, this matter is illegal.
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Chandigarh SCDRC delivered the verdict in this case in December 2025. The restaurant has been ordered to refund the extra amount that was charged. Along with that, the restaurant has been ordered to pay ₹3000 to the customer for harassment. It has also been stated that if the money is not paid within 30 days, interest will be applicable.
