SHC fines customer Rs1.5mn over moldy bread complaint

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday imposed a Rs1.5 million fine on a customer after setting aside a consumer court ruling against three bread manufacturers in a case involving allegations of moldy and expired bread.

The constitutional bench of the SHC accepted the companies’ appeals and overturned the consumer court’s earlier decision, which had imposed a penalty of Rs110,000 on the manufacturers. The court also ordered the amount paid by the companies to be refunded.

The case originated in 2019, when complainant Aurangzeb filed a complaint before the consumer court, alleging that he had purchased bread containing fungus.

In its judgment, the SHC observed that the complainant failed to produce photographs of the allegedly contaminated bread or obtain any laboratory analysis to support his claim.

The court further noted that no medical evidence had been presented to establish that the complainant suffered any illness after consuming the bread.

According to the judgment, the complaint should have been dismissed at the preliminary stage due to the lack of supporting evidence.

The SHC also ruled that the consumer court had imposed penalties without fulfilling the necessary legal requirements. While the consumer court had rejected the complainant’s claim for damages, it had nevertheless directed the companies to pay litigation costs.

Finding the complaint to be unsubstantiated, the Sindh High Court imposed a Rs1.5 million penalty on the complainant and allowed the appeals filed by the bread manufacturers.

Earlier, the SHC’s constitutional bench issued notices to parties over a petition with regard to the removal of false cases and restraining new FIRs by the police.

Arbab Bheel in his petition pleaded to the court that the police has booked him in malicious and false cases during his imprisonment in jail.

Petitioner alleged registration of fake case in CTD Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Qasimabad and other police stations. “My client and his family being subjected to political victimization”, petitioner’s lawyer said.

“The law enforcement agencies are working on the behest of the ruling party and influentials,” lawyer alleged.