A restaurant in Jaffna has been fined Rs. 950,000 for selling a one-litre bottle of drinking water priced at Rs. 120 for Rs. 200, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) said.
The Jaffna Magistrate’s Court imposed the fine on Lavin’s Vegetable Family Restaurant after legal action was initiated over the sale of bottled drinking water above the stipulated Maximum Retail Price (MRP).
According to the CAA, its Jaffna District investigation officers detected during a raid that a one-litre bottle of drinking water, with an MRP of Rs. 120, had been sold to a consumer for Rs. 200.
The case was taken up before the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court on August 25, when the Rs. 950,000 fine was imposed.
Separate reports said the restaurant had previously been fined for a similar offence involving overpriced drinking water, making the latest violation a repeat offence. The court also ordered that the owner serve six months in prison if the latest fine is not paid.
The CAA urged consumers to check printed prices and applicable maximum retail prices before making purchases and to obtain and retain receipts as evidence in the event of a complaint.
Suspected violations of consumer protection laws can be reported to the CAA through its 1977 hotline during office hours. (Newswire)