Pune: Swiggy Allegedly Defrauds Blue Nile Restaurant of Rs 56 Lakh

Swiggy, the popular online food ordering and delivery platform, is accused of defrauding Blue Nile Restaurant in Pune of Rs 56 lakh. The incident occurred between March 26, 2023, and November 7, 2023. The complaint was lodged with the cyber police and a case registered at Bund Garden police station. The accused, Sandeep Sharma, the manager at Swiggy, faces charges under sections 419, 420, and 34 of the IPC.

The complaint was filed by Vidyagauri Bhavkar, the 55-year-old Accounts Head of Blue Nile Restaurant. Bhavkar has been with the restaurant since 1991. She stated that online food ordering has become increasingly popular, leading Blue Nile to partner with platforms like Success Hospitality, Zomato, and Swiggy.

Blue Nile entered into an agreement with Swiggy in 2015, facilitating online food delivery services. Many customers prefer ordering via Swiggy. The restaurant prepares the food, which Swiggy’s delivery personnel then deliver to customers. Swiggy processes payments made online or in cash and transfers the amount to Blue Nile’s bank account through NEFT or RTGS within a stipulated period.

Since March 2023, there have been delays in payments from Swiggy. Despite repeated attempts to contact Sandeep Sharma, the restaurant did not receive the promised payments. The complaint alleges that Swiggy has withheld dues amounting to Rs 54,62,786 and failed to pay TDS of Rs 1,37,096, totaling Rs 55,99,882.

The Bund Garden police are investigating the matter, and legal actions are being pursued to recover the outstanding amount.