Actor Anoop Menon and an oil company – Dhathri – have been asked to pay compensation to consumer for making false promises. A man, named Francis Vadakkan, had filed a case against the actor endorsing the product and the oil company in 2012. The complainant had alleged that the hair oil which promises hair growth in just six weeks didn't yield any result in his case. The man claimed that he had been made a false promise basis which he lost money on buying the product.
The complaint
Francis Vadakkan, who hails from Thrissur, mentioned in his complaint that he had bought the cream for the first time in 2012. The cream had cost him Rs 376 back then. A Newsminute report says that the man further claimed that he bought another pack the next month and kept applying the hair cream religiously but didn't see any results. The man added that he had become a laughing stock in the society when he went against everyone and used the cream in the hope of getting his hair back. Francis demanded a hefty compensation of Rs 5 lakhs citing emotional distress and humiliation, says the report.
The verdict
Francis had filed the complaint in 2012. The verdict came out in September, 2020. The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered the company and the actor to pay Rs 10,000 each to the complainant.
The newspaper advertisement
The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission quoted the newspaper advertisement from January, 2012 which featured Anoop. The Commission cited that in the advertisement the actor made false promises of guaranteed hair growth. Though the actor reasoned that the print advertisement was published without his permission, the Commission didn't see any proof of that. Anoop added that he didn't use the cream and had endorsed the cream for "hair protection" and not "hair growth". The Commission also asked the medical store proprietor, from where Francis had bought the hair cream, to pay Rs 3000 as compensation to the complainant for covering legal fees.
Statement from Dhathri Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd
"All Dhathri Ayurveda products undergo extensive clinical studies conducted by independent labs and the results are registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI). This dispute pertains to an advertisement that appeared in 2012, around the product Dhathri Hair Protector, and the case was registered in 2012. The disputed advertisement has not been used for many years now. However, the company vigorously defends its claims as they have scientific backing and the Dhathri Hair Protector is registered with CTRI holding the number CTRI /20L3/OS/003644. Dhathri Ayurveda is committed to providing authentic and effective wellness solutions manufactured under the most stringent quality standards and all advertisement claims where applicable have the complete backing of scientific evidence."
Mammootty and Indulekha
In 2016, a Kerala sculptor had filed a similar case against Indulekha's soap which claimed to make someone fair. Mammootty was the face of the product back then. The man, K Chaathu, then had received a compensation of Rs 30,000 as the company had decided not to fight the case.
The Consumer Protection Bill 2019
A bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in 2019 aiming to safeguard the interest of the consumers and protect them from being cheated by misleading advertisements. The bill had come out with provisions to penalise any form of misleading advertisments on any medium (print, radio, television, internet, telemarketing). In a bid to put an end to unfair trade practices, the bill had provisions to levy a hefty compensation of Rs 10 lakh on manufacturers and service providers. It also said that celebrities endorsing such products would also be fined Rs 10 lakh and Rs 50 lakhs for repeat offenders.
