Indian-origin lawyer suing supermarket chain Tesco in the UK over chocolate bar

A 63-year-old Indian-origin lawyer in the United Kingdom has filed a lawsuit against the nation’s biggest supermarket chain Tesco over his alleged mistreatment which, he claims, has dislodged his kidney stones.

Tesco admitted that the chocolate had been paid for and explained the confusion over an inadvertent double-swipe of the barcode by the lawyer, who had required some assistance while using the self-service checkout till.
Tesco admitted that the chocolate had been paid for and explained the confusion over an inadvertent double-swipe of the barcode by the lawyer, who had required some assistance while using the self-service checkout till. Photo courtesy: geograph.org.uk

Lalu Hanuman has demanded 70,000 pounds (USD 91,451) in damages after claiming he was being falsely accused of “theft for walking away with an unpaid bar of chocolate”.

According to media reports, Hanuman bought a GBP 1.05 (USD 1.37) bar of vegan chocolate and paid for it at the self-service till of the Tesco Express store in the Russell Square area of central London, threw the receipt in the bin and made his way out of the store.

Hanuman claims he was stopped by the store’s security guard who falsely accused him of not paying for the chocolate and then forcibly moved him back into the shop, resulting in his kidney stones being dislodged.

Tesco admitted that the chocolate had been paid for and explained the confusion over an inadvertent double-swipe of the barcode by the lawyer, who had required some assistance while using the self-service checkout till.

A UK court hearing in the case is scheduled to take place on July 21.