A local court has summoned food delivery giant Zomato in response to a civil suit seeking to restrain the company from its services allowing users to order “hot and authentic food” from “iconic restaurants” across Delhi.
The court acted on a petition filed by a resident of Gurugram, alleging that Zomato was engaging in “false and fraudulent” practices by delivering fresh food from renowned restaurants under its sub-category, ‘Dilli ke Legends‘.
Civil Judge Umesh Kumar, in a recent order, directed the issuance of summons for the suit and notice of application.
According to the petitioner, Sourav Mall, an order was placed on October 24 last year from three different eateries in Jama Masjid, Kailash Colony, and Jangpura. Upon tracking the delivery partner, it was discovered that the order was picked up from an “unknown and unnamed” location rather than the original restaurant.
The petition questions why the food was collected from a nearby location where there is no branch of the restaurant partner, and why it wasn’t delivered in the original packaging. It raises concerns about the authenticity and freshness of the food being delivered.
The petition also questions the feasibility of Zomato delivering from Delhi’s iconic restaurants to locations in Gurugram and Noida within a 30-minute timeframe.
It alleges that such representations by Zomato to its users are intended to deceive the public at large.
The plea was filed as a “representative suit” under the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) on behalf of numerous affected individuals.
The matter is scheduled for further proceedings on March 20.
(With PTI inputs)
