A Patna consumer court has imposed a fine of Rs 85,000 on Cinepolis Cinema and the Coca-Cola Company for stopping a moviegoer from carrying his own water bottle inside the theatre and forcing him to buy packaged water at a high price.
When he was entering, security personnel stopped him from taking his water bottle inside the auditorium. He then filed a complaint against unfair trade practices, seeking compensation for mental harassment along with legal costs. During the hearing, Cinepolis argued that it had no hand in setting product prices. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola defended the pricing, claiming it complied with metrology regulations. However, a bench comprising Commission President Premranjan Mishra and Member Rajneesh Kumar rejected these arguments, holding both companies accountable for restricting outside water and charging dual prices. It also directed packaged food and beverage sellers to clearly display MRP on all products and strictly refrain from charging dual prices for identical goods.
The order comes nearly a decade after the complainant, Rajat Tiwari, filed a case with the consumer court following an incident on September 23, 2016, when he had gone to watch the film Pink at the Cinepolis hall in Patna. Left with no option, he purchased a Kinley water bottle inside the theatre premises for Rs 50, a price that is more than double the standard retail price of Rs 20 outside. The consumer court directed the companies to pay Rs 25,000 to Tiwari for mental distress, Rs 10,000 for legal expenses, and deposit Rs 50,000 into the State Consumer Welfare Fund. The panel warned that failure to deposit the penalty within 45 days would attract interest on the total amount.
