Background

In the case of Sangeeta das V. galleria cinemas In October, the complainant and her family visited Galleria Cinemas. When they arrived, the complainant found the theatre to be exceedingly filthy, with crumbs of popcorn and empty bottles all over the place. The complainant arrived at her allotted seats on time, and the movie began. However, around halfway through the movie, the complainant felt as though something had bitten her foot. She rushed outside and discovered that her foot was bleeding. She complained to the movie theatre management after becoming concerned that she would be bitten by a snake, but no first assistance was given. Since it was unknown what creature bit her, she proceeded to a hospital nearby where she was kept under observation for two hours. She filed a complaint with the consumer forum alleging a lack of service from the cinema hall and that the hospital’s heavy-duty disabling medications she had to take as a result of the rat-biting incident are having an impact on her day-to-day activities and effectiveness. 

Argument Advanced 

The complainant was given complimentary tickets and the following movie, the appellant said, despite her and her husband’s attempts to resolve the issue with the hall officials.

To intimidate the managers of the movie theatre, the defendant claimed that the complaint rejected their offer of first aid and refused to resolve the conflict.

Courts Conclusion 

The complainant was bitten by a rat while watching a movie with her family at a Galleria cinema, and the DCDRC bench of Bora (president) Archana deke Lakhar and Tutmoni Deva Goswami ordered the theatre’s managers to financially compensate the complainant. The commission cited the Sushil ansal V. state, which said that cinema hall owners had a responsibility to keep their premises hygienic.

The Commission determined that the proprietor of the movie theatre had a responsibility to keep the premises clean, and the complainant’s oral testimony suggested that the theatre was strewn with food scraps and popcorn kernels, which attracted mice. The Commission believed that the Galleria Cinema management was negligent in maintaining hygiene and did not provide proper service to patrons as required by the Cinematograph Act and required under the general obligations of a hall owner because the opposing parties did not refute the complainant’s allegations. The Commission subsequently ordered the opposing parties to pay monetary damages totalling about Rs. 67,000, which would cover the complainant’s medical costs, her bodily and mental suffering, as well as the costs of the proceedings.