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⚖️ Consumer Court on Religious Sentiments and Food Choices


Case: Gargi Prakash Joshi & Anr. v. Wow Momos Foods Pvt. Ltd.
Forum: District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mumbai
Issue: Allegation of serving non-vegetarian food to strictly vegetarian customers, affecting religious sentiments.

🧾 Observations by the Forum:

The Consumer Court observed that:

"If non-vegetarian food offends one’s religious sentiments, the logical course would be to order from a purely vegetarian restaurant rather than one offering both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options."

The forum questioned the decision of the complainants to order from Wow Momos, a restaurant serving both food types, despite claiming to be strictly vegetarian.

🧩 Submissions by Wow Momos:

  • Invoices submitted by the restaurant showed that the complainants had ordered non-vegetarian momos.

  • The alleged server, “Pooja Sharma,” never worked at the outlet, according to company records.

  • The actual employee was allegedly physically assaulted by the complainants.

  • As a gesture of goodwill, the company had already refunded the amount and issued a gift voucher of ₹1,200.

👨‍⚖️ Findings by the Consumer Forum:

  • Discernment Expected:

    "A prudent consumer should be able to distinguish between vegetarian and non-vegetarian food before consumption."

  • Ambiguity on Offer Board:
    While the photo of the promotional board presented by the complainants did not clearly specify whether the “Steam Darjeeling Momo + Pepsi” combo was veg or non-veg, the board did contain the label "veg/non-veg" at the bottom—indicating that both options were available.

  • Implied Awareness:

    "This implies the complainants should have been aware of the possibility that non-vegetarian options were on the menu."

⚠️ Conclusion:

The forum dismissed the complaint, indicating that the onus lay on the complainants to exercise caution, especially when ordering from an establishment serving both veg and non-veg food. Their claim of religious offence was found inconsistent with their own choices and conduct.

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