A Jodhpur mother has won Rs 4,000 compensation after her homemade prasad on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami failed to reach her son studying in Haryana, with the Rajasthan State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission finding a deficiency in the courier service.
Taking note of the legal dispute over hurt religious sentiments, the commission ruled that the courier company had been insufficient in providing service by failing to deliver the parcel containing religious offerings prepared by a mother at home.
Judicial members Mukesh and Liaqat Ali were hearing an appeal filed by the courier company’s challenge against the order in favour of the mother, contending that delivering perishable food prohibited company rules.
“Since the courier company failed to prove that any genuine attempt was made to hand over the parcel to the recipient and the parcel never reached its destination, the finding of deficiency in service is fully justified,” the commission said on June 3, dismissing the courier firm’s appeal.
Mother’s prasad that never reached son
- On September 9, 2023, Alpana Pandey had prepared sacred prasad on the occasion of Janmashtami to be parcelled to her son Vedant Pandey, who is a law student at Dr B R Ambedkar National University in Sonipat, Haryana.
- She had booked a courier service through Akash Ganga Courier’s Jodhpur branch to send her son the homemade prasad.
- The courier service assured delivery by September 12, 2023 and charged Rs 150 for the service, but the parcel did not reach the son.
- It was recorded that despite repeated follow-ups, the mother alleged that the company failed to provide any information regarding the consignment.
- She claimed that due to the lapse on the part of the company, the edible religious offering became stale and unusable, causing religious emotional distress and hurting religious sentiments.
Win for mother
Taking note of the material on record, the district consumer commission allowed the mother’s plea on November 4, 2025, after hearing the parties’ contentions.
The district commission observed a deficiency on the courier service’s part, and directed the company to compensate the mother with Rs 2,000 for mental and emotional suffering and Rs 2,000 for the litigation cost.
Additionally, the commission ordered compliance within 30 days, failing which the amount would carry 9 per cent per annum.
Company’s challenge to mother’s relief
The company challenging the order before the state commission argued that its business involved transportation of documents and goods, and that the perishable food, like prasad, was prohibited in the company rules.
The company contended that the mother had not intimated that the parcel merely had an “article” without disclosing that it contained edible religious prasad; it added that had they known the nature of the item, it would not have been accepted in the first place.
Additionally, it was argued that multiple delivery attempts were made, but the recipient could not be located at the order address, which led to its return to the Jodhpur office on October 19, 2023, and the mother was informed about the same.
Gaps in courier’s defence
The aforementioned arguments could not persuade the state commission, and it noted that it was undisputed that the parcel sent by the mother never reached the son, who was the intended recipient.
The significant question before the state commission was why the delivery had failed despite the address being recorded on the parcel.
After perusal of the evidence on record, the commission observed that the documents relied upon did not bear any signatures showcasing that delivery attempts were made to the recipient’s location.
The commission also took note of the fact that the company had failed to obtain confirmation from the hostel warden, gatekeeper or any other person concerned, establishing the absence of the recipient, but no such material was found.
The commission stated that even according to the company’s own records, the parcel had returned on October 7, 2023, and if the recipient was genuinely unavailable, the parcel should have been returned promptly instead of remaining in transit for an extended period, it said.
Compensation upheld
Rejecting the appeal, the state commission held that the District Commission had not awarded the value of the prasad itself and had granted only symbolic compensation of Rs 2,000 for mental and emotional suffering, along with Rs 2,000 as litigation costs. In the circumstances, it found no reason to interfere with the earlier order.
The appeal filed by Akash Ganga Courier was dismissed, and the district commission’s order was affirmed in full, with each party directed to bear its own costs in the appeal proceedings.
Ordered dress on Instagram, got it 10 months later
In another case, a consumer commission in Kerala has directed an online clothing seller to refund the price of a dress ordered through Instagram and to pay compensation and costs amounting to Rs 10,000 after finding a 10-month delivery delay.
A bench comprising President Vinay Menon V, and members Vidya A, and Krishnankutty N K noted that such an inordinate delay is to be treated as a deficiency in service on the part of the opposite party.
“Such an inordinate delay is to be treated as deficiency in service on the part of the opposite party since any consumer ordering for any product will expect delivery of the same within a reasonable time and have the right to refuse the same if there is inordinate delay,” the consumer disputes redressal commission, Palakkad, noted in its order dated May 15.
The prasad never reached the son, the commission noted no attempt were made. 
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