Supreme Court grants States six weeks to reply on plea seeking disclosure of shop owner identities

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) allowed six weeks for several States and Union Territories to file their responses to a public interest litigation (PIL) that seeks mandatory display of identity and registration details of shop owners at commercial establishments. The petition argues that such disclosure is essential for consumers to effectively pursue grievances under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing the plea filed by lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. During the proceedings, Mr. Upadhyay informed the court that only a few States — including Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and Assam — and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands had submitted their responses so far.

“We grant six weeks’ time to the respondents who have not filed responses to file the same,” the Bench said, while scheduling the next hearing after three months.

The PIL seeks directions to compel shops to prominently display at their entrances the name and address of the establishment, contact information, registration particulars, and the number of employees, in a manner clearly visible to consumers. According to the petitioner, such details empower consumers to identify the parties responsible for defective goods or deficient services and seek redressal before consumer forums.

The plea invokes the right of every consumer to be informed. It states that consumers are entitled to know not only the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standards, manufacturing and expiry dates, and certifications from bodies such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), but also details of distributors, dealers and sellers. This, the petition argues, is necessary to protect consumers against unfair and restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation.

“Every consumer has a right to know about not only the quality, quantity, potency, purity standards, manufacturing and expiry date, BIS/FSSAI certification, but also the details of distributors, dealers, sellers and shop owners, so as to seek redressal against unfair and restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation in the spirit of provisions of the 2019 Act,” the petition said.

The plea further contended that access to identity and registration details of distributors, dealers and sellers is integral to a consumer’s ability to file effective complaints concerning defective products or deficient services. It also asserted that such disclosures uphold the consumer’s right to make informed choices and seek protection against exploitation.

“Each consumer has [the] right to be informed about quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods and services to protect him against unfair trade practices, restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation,” the plea added.

The court’s order comes amid a broader push for enhanced consumer protection mechanisms in the country. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which replaced the earlier 1986 law, introduced several provisions aimed at simplifying the complaint process and expanding the scope of consumer rights. The outcome of the present PIL could have significant implications for transparency in retail trade and the ease with which consumers can seek legal recourse.