A summons has been issued by a Delhi court to Zomato, the food delivery app, as part of a civil suit. The suit aims to obtain a restraining order against the company, preventing it from carrying on with its services that enable users to order "hot and authentic food" from "iconic restaurants" throughout the national capital.

During the court proceedings, a plea submitted by a Gurugram resident was being heard. The plea alleged that Zomato was involved in what was described as "false and fraudulent" conduct, wherein it purportedly delivered fresh food from renowned restaurants under its sub-category, "Dilli ke Legends.".

In a recent order, Civil Judge Umesh Kumar directed, "Summon the defendant in the suit and provide notice of the application."

As per the plea, Sourav Mall made an order on October 24 of the previous year from three distinct eateries situated in Jama Masjid, Kailash Colony, and Jangpura.

Subsequently, he tracked the delivery partner and discovered that the order was collected from a location described as "unknown and unnamed," rather than directly from the original restaurants.

"Why was the food picked up from a nearby location when there is no branch of the restaurant partner there? Why is the food not delivered in the original packaging of the restaurant partner? What is the guarantee that the food has been prepared by the restaurant partner? What is the guarantee that the food is prepared fresh and hot?" the plea said.

The plea, submitted as a "representative suit" for multiple affected individuals under the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), expressed incredulity over Zomato's ability to deliver from Delhi's renowned restaurants to locations in Gurugram and Noida within a 30-minute timeframe. It contended, "Such portrayal to users, customers, or patrons of Zomato, is indeed meant to mislead the general public."