CCPA fines e-commerce platform for selling ‘ordinary’ sweets as Ram Mandir prasad

Amazon has been fined ₹1 lakh by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for selling ordinary sweets as "Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad" on its platform without proper approval from the Ram Temple Trust. The order, passed on August 4 by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, follows a complaint filed by the Confederation of All India Traders in January 2024.

The CCPA stated that the commercial use of this phrase for regular sweets, without authorization, is not only a misleading trade practice but also an insult to the religious sentiments of millions of consumers. Amazon was held responsible for the publication of misleading advertisements as it hosted, displayed and facilitated the sale of these products, thus forfeiting its claim to safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.

The four varieties of sweets involved were ghee ladoos, khoya ladoos, boondi ladoos, and cow milk pedas, all listed by Chandu Trading Company under the brand Bihar Brothers.