Consumer court orders ₹25K compensation to passenger who fell sick after eating worm in biryani served on train

A consumer court in Delhi has ordered the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to pay ₹25,000 compensation to a train passenger who fell ill after being served food containing a worm.

In an order passed on October 28, the District Consumer Redressal Commission (DCDRC) President Monika Sirvastava ruled that IRCTC was guilty of deficiency in service.

The Commission said that even though IRCTC had expressed regret and penalised the service provider, it would not be sufficient for the physical and mental trauma suffered by complainant Kiran Kaushal.

"It is expected of OP [opposite party] to maintain certain standards and to check the quality of food being served to the consumers while travelling in the train.In light of the discussion above, OP is found to be deficient in service and is directed to pay ₹25,000/-towards compensation, for shortcoming in the quality of the food served to the complainant," the Commission ordered.

Kaushal was travelling from New Delhi to Jasidih in Jharkhand on the Poorva Express on December 28, 2018, when he ordered a plate of vegetable biryani priced at ₹80.

While eating the food, he discovered a large, dead white worm in the meal. Soon after eating the contaminated food, his health deteriorated and he began vomiting and suffering severe abdominal pain.

Alone on the train and with no immediate medical help available, Kaushal struggled through the journey. When he demanded the complaint register, the railway staff initially refused to provide it. After finally managing to file his complaint, he was allegedly pressured by the vendor to withdraw it, adding to his distress.

He demanded ₹5 lakh compensation for mental agony and harassment.

After considering the case and the video recording produced by Kaushal, the Court awarded him ₹25,000.

[Read Order]