Man Suffers Thumb Injury As iPhone Bursts In Pocket, Apple Ordered To Pay Rs 41,139

A man in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, alleged that his iPhone burst in his pocket and injured his thumb after overheating twice. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has held the phone to be defective and directed Apple India and a local retailer to replace it or refund its purchase price.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission pronounced its order on October 1, 2026, after the consumer noted that the phone had overheated twice before bursting in August 2023.

What Happened In The Case

Premraj Singh, a resident of Aligarh, purchased an iPhone for Rs 29,500 on August 14, 2020, according to the commission order. The judgment does not specify the model of the phone.

Singh alleged that the phone overheated on July 15, 2023, and that he raised an oral complaint with Apple India. He said he was told that such incidents sometimes happened. The phone allegedly overheated again on August 5, 2023, after which he informed the local retailer, Bittu Bhaiji Electronics, but claimed that no action was taken.

Singh alleged that the phone burst inside his pocket at around 8 am on August 12, 2023, injuring his thumb. He filed a police complaint that day. According to the complaint, he later discovered that the incident had also damaged his wedding photo album. He and his wife subsequently held another marriage celebration and arranged for photographs and videos to be shot again.

Singh sought a replacement phone or a refund of Rs 29,500. He also claimed Rs 51 lakh towards repeating the marriage celebration and Rs 48 lakh as compensation for the shock and distress he said he suffered. Although he put his total claim at Rs 99.29 lakh, he restricted the amount claimed before the Commission to Rs 50 lakh, citing its pecuniary jurisdiction.

The judgment records that Apple India submitted affidavits after the prescribed period for filing its written statement, which the Commission considered to be of no importance. The second opposite party, Bittu Bhaiji Electronics, did not contest the case.

What Did The Commission Observe

After observing the material on the records, the Commission considered whether Singh was entitled to relief. It noted that the opposite parties had not rebutted his pleadings and held that the phone was defective and there had been a deficiency in service.

The Commission stated in its judgment, “As there is no rebuttal of the pleadings of the complainant, and therefore it is held that the mobile set was defective and there was a deficiency in service.”

It further recorded that Singh had been hospitalised at Varun Hospital from August 13 to August 20, 2023, for treatment of injuries caused by the phone bursting. Referring to the medical records he submitted, the Commission noted that he had incurred Rs 36,139 in treatment expenses and held that he was entitled to compensation for that amount.

The Commission decided the question of entitlement to relief in Singh’s favour. The judgment does not record an award for the amounts he sought towards repeating the marriage celebration or for shock and depression.

What Did The Commission Order

The Commission directed Apple India and the retailer either to replace the iPhone with a new one or refund its purchase price of Rs 29,500, along with pendente lite and future interest at 10 per cent per annum.

The companies were also ordered to pay Rs 36,139 as compensation for medical expenses and Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs. These amounts are separate from the phone replacement or refund.

The Commission directed the opposite parties to comply within 45 days. It stated that failure to comply could lead to prosecution for non-compliance under Section 72 of the Consumer Protection Act.