Posted on 02/04/2006 10:57:11 AM PST by QwertyKPH
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 4: A city consumer court has asked a leading beverage company to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation to a buyer who found a dead fly in a whisky bottle of the company. "The very sight of a dead fly in such drink causes trauma to a consumer particularly when he detects the foreign object after consuming some quantity of the drink," observed the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission headed by President Justice J D Kapoor and Member Ruminita Mittal. Justice Kapoor rejected the contention of the company, Shaw Wallace distilleries, that there was no proof to show that the whisky harmed the consumer. "Mere absence of any medical evidence as to the effect having a drink containing a dead fly can not absolve the company from selling goods which are meant for drinking that contained a foreign object i.e. dead fly," the Commission said.
Ordering compensation, the Commission added, "the trauma sometime is such that one may vomit spontaneously and this not only results in physical injury but mental injury also and therefore such a consumer is entitled to be compensated for the mental agony." "It was a case of negligence while manufacturing and bottling the drink as dead insect has found its way during the process of bottling," observed the Commission while deciding the appeal of the liquor company, which it has filed against a district consumer forum's verdict.
Earlier, a district forum, on a complaint of one Mohan Singh who had found a dead fly in a bottle of Director's special brand of whiskey, bought from an authorized shop of the company, has asked it to pay Rs.77,000 as compensation.
Partly allowing the appeal, the Commission slashed the fine by awarding compensation of Rs.5,000 to the consumer inclusive of the cost of litigation.
"In the instant case, it was a solitary bottle in which one dead fly was found whereas the drink was neither of poor quality that may caused potential hazards, hence the fine was on the higher side," said Justice Kapoor decreasing the fine.
5,000.00 INR = 113.250 USD
Does this say anything about the value of human life in India?
I'm also surprised that there is whiskey in India at all. I had thought that alcohol was against their religion or something like that.
On the other hand, the fly probably died happy.
Perhaps it was just the untouchable caste version of a tequila worm?
This is about how much such a claim is truly worth.
dog bites man - no news
man bites dog - news
dead fly in bottle -no news
dead bottle in fly - news.
ROTFLOL! Well said.
Probably more about the value of a fly, but with Hindus around, who really knows?
Obviously, these folks are unfamiliar with the concept of the "mezcal worm".
"Does this say anything about the value of human life in India?"
$100 may be too small a punishment for the company, although verdicts against big tobacco for $10,000,000,000 are a much bigger problem.
It's only protein, pickled protein.
Ya think it flew in when he wasn't looking?
Well, they've got product liability lawyers. That's a start. Now they just need IRS, EPA, FDA, FCC, DOT, HHS/HUD, SSA, OSHA, UAW/NEA/AFLCIO, ACLU, PETA, NOW and affirmative action to get on a level playing field with US.
So an Englishman, an Irishman, a Scotsman and an Indian find a fly in their drinks . . .
Two Indians walk into a bar...
...the third one ducks.
When contacted, the offended buyer of the tainted drink replied, "I am very much not liking this!"
I mean, this is India. A fly? A fly?
I would assume a rat free beverage would be more than acceptable.
That is an astoundingly poor assumption.
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