A court here has summoned food delivery app Zomato in a civil suit seeking a restraining order to stop the company from continuing its services, which allow users to order "hot and authentic food" from "iconic restaurants" throughout the national capital.
Reportedly, the court was hearing to a plea filed by a Gurugram resident claiming Zomato was engaging in the "false and fraudulent" practice of delivering fresh food from well-known restaurants under its sub-category, 'Dilli ke Legends'.
In a recent order, Civil Judge Umesh Kumar stated, "Issue summons for the suit and notice of application." According to the petition, Sourav Mall placed an order from three different eateries in Jama Masjid, Kailash Colony, and Jangpura on October 24 last year, after which he tracked the delivery partner and discovered that the order was picked up from an "unknown and unnamed" location rather than the original restaurant.
"Why was the food picked up from a nearby location when there is no branch of the restaurant partner there? Why is the food not delivered in the original packaging of the restaurant partner? What is the guarantee that the food has been prepared by the restaurant partner? What is the guarantee that the food is prepared fresh and hot?" the plea said.
It was "inexplicable" how Zomato managed to deliver from Delhi's iconic restaurants to Gurugram and Noida in 30 minutes, it added. The complaint stated, "Such representation to users, customers or patrons of Zomato, is indeed intended to deceive the public at large."
According to the Code of Civil Procedure, the plea was filed as a "representative suit" on behalf of a several number of affected individuals.
The case will be heard again on March 20.
(With inputs from agencies)
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