The Telangana High Court affirmed that social media complaints hold equal importance as formal complaints, dismissing a catering stall operator’s petition against his contract termination by South Central Railway. The operator faced numerous serious complaints about food quality and pricing, leading the court to conclude that his contract termination was justified due to repeated service deficiencies.
Telangana: The Telangana High Court recently observed that complaints made through social media platforms carry as much weight as formal written complaints, emphasizing the significance of customer feedback in the digital era. Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya made this observation while dismissing a petition filed by a catering stall operator at Secunderabad Railway Station, challenging the termination of his contract by the South Central Railway.
The Court stated,
“Complaints/customer feedback on social media is an accepted mode of registering complaints against a service provider, and the petitioner cannot adopt an ostrich policy in today’s time on the pretext that social media complaints do not deserve to be treated with seriousness.”
The operator’s contract was terminated after multiple complaints about the quality of food served at his stall were raised on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Other complaints also pointed to food being sold below the recommended weight and at prices exceeding prescribed rates.
The catering operator’s stall faced numerous complaints regarding poor food quality and overpricing. Despite repeated warnings and penalties, the operator failed to address these issues, leading to the termination of his contract.
The High Court reviewed the termination letter issued on November 7, 2024, which listed several lapses, including:
- Five penalties imposed between February 5, 2024, and October 9, 2024.
- A prior warning letter citing customer complaints raised on social media.
- Allegations of involvement in acts of violence.
The Court noted that the Railways had given the contractor multiple opportunities to rectify the issues before terminating the contract.
The High Court upheld the Railways’ decision, stating,
“The complaints are indeed serious in nature since they not only relate to poor quality of food but also food below the recommended weight and in excess of the prescribed rate.”
The Court concluded that the termination was justified as the contractor failed to address repeated deficiencies in service.
Legal Representation
- Advocate Aadesh Varma appeared for the petitioner.
- Deputy Solicitor General Gadi Praveen Kumar and Advocate NVR Rajya Lakshmi represented the respondents.
Case Title – MS Mathura Prasad & Sons vs UOI
Read the Judgement here:
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