No ‘Maggi’ hearing at apex consumer court on Friday

New Delhi: Hearing on the the Rs.640-crore class action suit filed by the Indian government against Nestle India, alleging unfair trade practices with regard to Maggi noodles was not heard at the apex consumer disputes forum on Friday. No reasons were assigned. Officials at the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) said the matter was only “tentatively listed” for Friday and that no specific bench had been earmarked. “The matter may come up next week,” an official said, adding nothing had been finalised as of Friday morning. The Department of Consumer Affairs had filed this class action suit on Tuesday on behalf of the large number of consumers of Maggi in the country against Nestle India on the grounds of unfair trade practices, and sale of defective goods and some without necessary product approvals. Nestle had expressed disappointment over the government’s action. But the company got a significant respite on Thursday with the Bombay High Court lifting the ban on the sale of the instant noodle brand and ordering fresh tests in three separate labs to ascertain that the product complied with the country’s food safety norms.