Archive · 22 Jul 2026
Delhi Restaurant Ordered to Refund Service Charge
A man in Delhi had dinner with his family at a fancy restaurant.
When the bill came, it had an extra charge of Rs 949 for service.
The man said this charge was not supposed to be added automatically, as per government rules.
The restaurant staff wouldn't let him leave until he paid the full bill, including the extra charge.
The man felt this was unfair and took the restaurant to court.
The court agreed with him and said the restaurant did something wrong.
The court ordered the restaurant to give back the extra charge with interest and pay the man Rs 25,000 for the trouble he went through.
This shows that restaurants can't force customers to pay extra service charges.
A Delhi man refused to pay a Rs 949 service charge added to his Rs 11,761 bill at House of BOHO restaurant.
The restaurant staff allegedly surrounded his table and threatened him until he paid the full bill.
The consumer forum ruled that the service charge was imposed unfairly and ordered the restaurant to refund it with interest.
The restaurant was also ordered to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for harassment.
The court relied on CCPA guidelines and a Delhi High Court judgment that service charges must be voluntary.
- Who
- Neeraj Dubey and House of BOHO restaurant
- What
- A legal battle over an imposed service charge
- When
- Incident on October 19, 2024; Order on April 8, 2025
- Where
- Delhi, India
- Why
- The restaurant imposed a service charge against CCPA guidelines, leading to a consumer complaint and legal action.
Restaurant's Perspective
Customer's Perspective
Service Charge Imposition
Restaurant's Perspective
The restaurant may argue that the service charge is a standard practice to cover operational costs and ensure service quality.
Customer's Perspective
The customer believes the service charge was imposed unfairly and against CCPA guidelines, which state it should be voluntary.
Customer Treatment
Restaurant's Perspective
The restaurant might claim that the staff was merely enforcing their policy and ensuring payment for services rendered.
Customer's Perspective
The customer alleges that the staff surrounded his table and threatened him, creating a hostile environment to force payment.
- Date of Incident
- October 19, 2024
- Service Charge Amount
- Rs 949
- Total Bill Amount
- Rs 11,761
- Compensation Awarded
- Rs 25,000
- Interest Rate on Refund
- 7% per annum
- Interest Rate on Delayed Payment
- 6% per annum
- Date of Commission Order
- April 8, 2025
