Bottler must pay Rs2 lakh for pan masala in softdrink

A consumer disputes redressal forum has ordered Hindustan Coca-Cola, the bottling unit of Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd, to pay a compensation of Rs1.5 lakh to a Toyota Kirloskar Motors employee, who found impurities in two bottles of Maaza he had bought.

The employee, Prakash Rao G of Mandya, had bought the cool drink from a bakery in the Toyota Fresh Zone of the car maker’s premises in Bidadi Industrial Area. He complained to the Bangalore Rural District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum that he had found “materials like pan parag” in the drink.

The forum, on July 6, instructed Coca-Cola to pay the compensation within 30 days. Besides Rs1.50 lakh, the firm was also told to pay Rs50,000 to the consumer welfare fund and Rs2,000 to the complainant towards cost of litigation.

In his April 25 complaint, Rao said he and his colleagues bought two bottles of Maaza on October 28 last. Without noticing the impurities, he drank from one bottle, which later forced him to take medical treatment.

When complained, Rao claimed, the Coca-Cola officials offered him 21 crates of Maaza to hush up the matter.

Pleading innocence, the bakery owner stated that he sold the cool drink Coca Cola had supplied him. His statement confirmed Rao’s complaint, the forum said in its judgment.

Denying the allegation, Hindustan Coca-Cola, meanwhile, submitted before the forum that it has been maintaining quality in the entire process of bottling the drink. It also said that the complainant was not its customer, and alleged that some miscreants had added impure substances to tarnish its reputation. The bakery owner, however, said he had faced similar problems earlier. He stated before the forum that he had returned two Maaza bottles which contained stick and plastic pieces.

While ordering the cola firm to pay compensation, the forum — presided by HV Ramachandra Rao and members Keshav Rao Patil and J Nivedita — also directed to destroy the Maaza bottles after the appeal time.