Hyderabad: Hyderabad High Court Chief Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan on Monday directed Legal Metrology Department to explain the steps being taken to compel manufacturers of packaged drinking water to declare name and address of a contact person / office in case of any consumer complaint, after ascertaining the fact by purchasing a water bottle with his own money.
The CJ was hearing an appeal, along with Justice V. Ramasubramanian, by the Legal Metrology Department challenging a Single Judge’s order for releasing Kinley brand water bottles which were seized for not declaring the name and address of a contact person by the consumers.
During the course of hearing, interestingly, the CJ gave money from his pocket to one of his staff and asked him to get a water bottle from the canteen within the premises of the Court and when his staff handed over the bottle, the CJ noticed that it only had a toll free number.
The CJ felt that the name and address of a contact person needs to be mentioned besides the toll free number, for the public to lodge their grievance.
The Legal Metrology Department authorities in April 2018 seized a stock of water bottles from M/s Himjal Beverages Private Limited at Medak district, which manufactures and supplies Kinley water bottles to Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Ltd., for not declaring the name and address of a contact person on the bottles.
When Himjal Beverages challenged the seizure before a single Judge, he had ordered to release the water bottles.The counsel for the appellants submitted that the rules mandate the manufacturers to declare a contact person and address for the consumers.
At this juncture, the CJ asked the staff to purchase a water bottle from the canteen and after perusing the bottle, the CJ told the counsel that it was a Bisleri brand bottle and it only had toll free number.
The counsel said that they will also take action against Bisleri brand.
While granting two days’ time, the Bench asked the counsel to explain the steps being taken in this case.
