Party group charged Rs 15 extra on soft drink, wins Rs 10,000 payout from resort

4 min readNew DelhiJun 22, 2026 01:13 PM IST

District consumer commission was dealing with a plea of man challenging Rs 15 extra on his bill on Rs 35 'Dew' cold drink bottle. (AI-generated Image)

The Jhajjar District Consumer Commission directed a city-based resort to refund Rs 75 charged extra from a customer on ‘Mountain Dew’ cold drink bottles and pay Rs 10,000 compensation for mental agony and litigation costs.

Dealing with a plea against the Lali Resort, which charged Rs 15 extra on cold drink bottles when the complainant went for a party in the resort, a bench of president Shahabuddin and members Shriniwas Khundia and Veena Rani held that the resort was deficient in service for charging beyond the printed rates and ignoring the consumer’s grievance.

“In perusal of the exhibited documents tendered by the complainant, it is concluded that all the documents support the version of the complainant. It proves that the complainant has paid a total sum of Rs 1,290 to the opposite party, and it also shows that they charged an amount of Rs 50 for a bottle of cold drink,” the commission observed on June 15.

‘They charged Rs 50 for a bottle of cold drink’

The opposite party did not appear despite service, and hence the opposite party was proceeded ex parte order dated January 29.

The evidence of the complainant remains completely un-rebutted and unchallenged from the side of the opposite party.

In perusal of the exhibited documents tendered by the complainant, it is concluded that all the documents support the version of the complainant.

It proves that the complainant has paid a total sum of Rs 1290 to the opposite party, and it also shows that they charged an amount of Rs 50 for a bottle of cold drink.

The legal notice sent by the complainant proves that the complainant had sent many requests to the opposite party regarding the payment/refund requests, but they failed to redress the genuine grievances of the complainant.

On perusal of all these documents and keeping in view the oral submission made by the complainant, it is our considered view that the opposite party was deficient in service to the complainant.

Mountain Dew of Rs 35, sold in Rs 50

The complainant has filed a complaint against Lali Resort under Section 35 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, alleging that on September 14 2025, he, along with his friends, went to the resort for a little party.

According to the complainant, they ordered five soft cold drinks of 500 ml, each of Rs 35, ‘Dew’, along with other items of a total sum of Rs 1290, upon which the staff served the items at the table of the complainant.

He alleged that, but at the time of the billing, the opposite party took extra charges of Rs 15 each, beyond the print rate of the items, and charged the total sum of Rs 75 extra from the complainant.

The complainant stated that at the time of payment of the bill, he requested the opposite party not to take illegal/extra charges, but they misbehaved with him and refused to entertain his request and that of his friends.

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Alleging the deficiency in service, according to the complainant, he sent a legal notice to the resort, but they did not give any reply.

Jagriti Rai works with The Indian Express, where she writes from the vital intersection of law, gender, and society. Working on a dedicated legal desk, she focuses on translating complex legal frameworks into relatable narratives, exploring how the judiciary and legislative shifts empower and shape the consciousness of citizens in their daily lives.

Expertise

Socio-Legal Specialization: Jagriti brings a critical, human-centric perspective to modern social debates. Her work focuses on how legal developments impact gender rights, marginalized communities, and individual liberties.

Diverse Editorial Background: With over 4 years of experience in digital and mainstream media, she has developed a versatile reporting style. Her previous tenures at high-traffic platforms like The Lallantop and Dainik Bhaskar provided her with deep insights into the information needs of a diverse Indian audience.

Academic Foundations:

Post-Graduate in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), India’s premier media training institute.

Master of Arts in Ancient History from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), providing her with the historical and cultural context necessary to analyze long-standing social structures and legal evolutions. ... Read More

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