Consumer forum slaps fine on bar owner for overcharging

The District Consumer and Redressal Forum has slapped a fine on a bar and restaurant owner and has ordered him to pay compensation for harassing a customer, by charging more than the maximum retail price (MRP). If the bar owner fails to pay the fine and compensation within the stipulated time, he has to undergo imprisonment.

M N Harish Kumar, a resident of Dr B R Ambedkar Layout, had purchased two liquor bottles, worth Rs 130 and Rs 101 on May 18, 2014, from Mukkaneshwari Bar and Restaurant. He was charged Rs 150 and Rs 115 for the bottles respectively. Similarly, for a liquor bottle purchased on May 26, he was charged Rs 230 for a bottle with an MRP of Rs 209 and Rs 150 for a Rs 130 bottle.

Harish Kumar had collected bills for the purchase and approached the consumer forum complaining against the bar owner of fleecing and causing mental harassment, on August 8, 2014.

K L Shivalingegowda, president of the forum, who heard the arguments of the victim and reviewed the case and the evidence produced by Harish Kumar ordered Mukkaneshwari Bar and Restaurant  owner C P Shivakumar to repay the extra charge within a month.

Besides, he was ordered to pay a penalty of Rs 2,000 for mentally harassing the customer and Rs 1,000 for the expenses incurred by the client on the case.

If Shivakumar fails to repay the extra amount and compensation within a month, he would be charged 18 per cent interest extra from the day the complaint was lodged, or will have to face a jail sentence. The client will be eligible to lodge a criminal complaint against the defaulter, the order stated.