Free biryani on Sundays, ₹13,000 compensation: Puducherry restaurant gets unusual penalty over dead fly

A Puducherry customer, who found a dead fly in his meal, is now entitled to free Hyderabadi biryani on Sundays.

The Puducherry Consumer Commission has pulled up a popular local biryani joint over a serious hygiene lapse, ordering it to pay monetary compensation and serve the affected customer 10 plates of fresh Hyderabadi biryani free of cost over five consecutive Sundays.

The ruling serves as a stark reminder of the legal liabilities food establishments face under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

By serving contaminated food, the commission held the eatery squarely guilty of a “deficiency in service,” reinforcing that back-end kitchen lapses can carry real legal consequences.

What exactly happened?

According to a LiveLaw report, the complainant, P. Sundarakumara Manikandan and his friend, Mohammed Niyasudeen, had visited Biryani & Co on MG Road in Puducherry in December 2025 for a meal.

During their visit, they alleged that they had discovered a dead insect in the biryani served to them and documented the incident immediately with video and pictures.

Manikandan asserted that the insect's presence indicated poor hygiene practices at the establishment, and claimed that the incident caused him mental distress, fear of potential health risks, and a loss of trust as a consumer.

Legal claims

Initially, Manikandan sought compensation of ₹1.3 lakh on various grounds, including negligence, health risks, mental agony, and legal expenses, and issued a legal notice to the restaurant, demanding both compensation and corrective action.

Dissatisfied with the restaurant's response, he approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Puducherry, alleging a deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

What did the Commission observe?

Despite being served a legal notice, Biryani & Co did not appear before the commission or contest the case, resulting in ex parte proceedings.

Puducherry Consumer Commission, while evaluating the evidence, observed that the submitted photographs lacked clarity. But the bench said the video footage clearly showed a dead insect, which appeared to be a fly, in the biryani.

The restaurant, in response to a Google review posted by the complainant, acknowledged the incident, apologised, and described it as an isolated occurrence, while assuring corrective measures.

However, in its formal legal reply, it denied liability.

Taking note of the significant inconsistency in the restaurant's stance, the commission noted that its contradictory position undermined the establishment's credibility.

Restaurant ordered to pay compensation

The commission ruled that serving contaminated food constitutes a clear “deficiency in service” under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Holding the establishment fully accountable for the lapse, the consumer forum ordered the restaurant, Biryani & Co, to pay ₹10,000 to the complainant for the mental agony and physical hardship caused.

Additionally, the eatery was directed to pay ₹3,000 to cover the customer's litigation costs.

10 free biryanis

In an unusual directive, the commission also ordered the restaurant to serve the complainant 10 plates of freshly prepared Hyderabadi chicken biryani at no cost. According to the specific terms of the order, the compensation meals must be provided at a set rate of 2 plates per week over 5 consecutive Sundays.

The forum explicitly noted that the biryani must be prepared in strict compliance with food safety standards, with the weekly arrangement set to commence within two weeks of the restaurant receiving the official order.