Bengaluru vegan woman wins ₹1 lakh after finding prawn in ₹145 sandwich ordered on Swiggy
They were also ordered to refund the 146-rupee cost of the sandwich with 12 per cent annual interest from the date of the order until payment is realised.
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A routine food order turned into a protracted legal tussle in Bengaluru after a woman received a vegan sandwich that contained prawn pieces. The city’s consumer commission has now ordered Swiggy and the issuing restaurant to pay her one lakh rupees in compensation for negligence.
The case began on 10 July 2024 when 37-year-old Nisha G, a lifelong vegetarian who later adopted veganism for ethical reasons, ordered a vegan sandwich from Paris Panini through Swiggy. After taking a bite, she sensed an unfamiliar taste and soon discovered prawn pieces inside, prompting panic and cleansing rituals, according to reporting from the Times of India.
Nisha visited the Paris Panini outlet the following day, where the manager acknowledged the error and attributed it to a heavy rush at the time. The eatery offered a replacement meal, but she declined, stating that she felt humiliated and spiritually violated.
On 20 July 2024, she issued legal notices to both Swiggy and the restaurant, receiving no response. She filed a consumer complaint on 22 August 2024, accusing both parties of deficiency in service and breach of trust and sought two lakh rupees in compensation.
Swiggy argued that it functioned solely as a technology intermediary facilitating orders between customers and restaurants, asserting that the contract of sale existed only between Nisha and the restaurant. Paris Panini admitted the mistake, describing it as an unintentional mix-up during peak hours, but added that a typical vegan would not normally choose their establishment given that it serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
The Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled that supplying non-vegetarian food to a vegan constituted a serious deficiency in service. It stated that such negligence carries emotional, religious and psychological implications and should not be dismissed as a routine error.
The commission directed both Swiggy and Paris Panini to jointly pay 50,000 rupees in compensation and 50,000 rupees for mental agony, along with 5,000 rupees in litigation costs. They were also ordered to refund the 146-rupee cost of the sandwich with 12 per cent annual interest from the date of the order until payment is realised.
