Panchkula man sues Swiggy for charging GST on bottled soft drinks; gets Rs 10K compensation

Panchkula: Food delivery service Swiggy was fined Rs 20,000 by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) here for charging a local man Rs 4.5 as GST over three bottles of soft drinks.

The DCDRC awarded Rs 10,000 of the total fine amount to the customer and ordered the other Rs 10,000 to be deposited with the Haryana State Council for Child Welfare.

Swiggy will also have to refund the additional bill amount it overcharged to the customer with a 9 per cent interest.

Abhishek Garg, the customer, had ordered cheesy garlic sticks and three 500ml Coca Cola bottles (each with an MRP of Rs30) in August 2018.

After placing the order he noticed that he has been charged GST on the bottles and brought it up with Swiggy on Twitter.

Swiggy acknowledged the mistake but did nothing to refund the amount.

Garg approached the DCDRC in May 2019 where the company, through its lawyer, stated that it is only an intermediary and does not determine the rates and the applicability of taxes on the bill.

The DCDRC however concluded that Swiggy cannot wash its hands off from the entire transaction and has a role to play in the sale and purchase of food.