Bad mutton: Restaurant sued for food poisoning

Manager says petitioner never complained about food.

LAHORE:

A consumer court on Tuesday issued a notice to the manager of Baba Khan Chargha House in Badami Bagh for May 14 in a suit seeking damages of Rs800,000 for allegedly serving bad food.

Petitioner Touqeer Zafar submitted that on February 25, he and some friends visited the restaurant at around 8pm and ordered a mutton dish and other items. He said that the mutton gave off a stale smell and tasted odd. They said that they complained to the staff of the restaurant, but they did not listen to them.

The petitioner said that shortly after the meal, he felt a pain in his stomach. He visited the doctor, who examined him and told him that he had food poisoning from eating something stale.

He said that some of his friends also got sick from the food. He asked the court to direct the respondent to pay him Rs500,000 for loss of business while he was ill, Rs200,000 for “mental torture” and Rs100,000 for misconduct of restaurant staff. The court issued notice to the restaurant’s manager for May 14.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Baba Khan Chargha House manager Muhammad Imran said that the restaurant never served bad food. He said that they had been in business for several years and believed that serving stale food would drive customers away and ruin their livelihoods.

He said that the petitioner had not complained to the management of the restaurant at the time, otherwise they would have investigated and acted.

He said that he was willing to discuss the situation with the petitioner and “accommodate him”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2012.