A city-based nutritionist has alleged that she was cheated while awaiting delivery of apparel she had ordered online for Eid.

In a recent complaint to the police, she claimed that the courier company’s delivery executive falsely marked the parcel as delivered, even though she never received it. The alleged false delivery confirmation resulted in the woman being deprived of the goods she had purchased.

Hena Nafis, a resident of south Calcutta, had purchased a garment online from a seller who had engaged a courier company to deliver the item to her.

“I did not receive the garment before Eid. Shortly after Eid, I went on a leisure trip and received a text message saying the order had been dispatched. When I returned home a few days later, I found that the parcel had still not been delivered. However, when I tracked the package on the courier company’s website, it was marked as delivered. I contacted the company, which then provided me with the phone number of the delivery executive,” Nafis said.

The nutritionist added that when she spoke to the deliveryman, he claimed the apparel had been delivered to her address and showed a photograph of a location, which was not her home.

“The delivery receipt of the courier company mentioned that I had received the product, but I can show my plane tickets to prove I was out of the station on that day,” she said.

Nafis has registered a complaint with Karaya police station.

Police said they have received the complaint. “We are looking into the matter,” said an officer of Kolkata Police.

Thousands of consumers rely on online shopping platforms to have products delivered to their homes.

Police sources said that if a delivery executive or courier company is found to have falsely claimed that an item was delivered, and preliminary evidence supports the allegation, it could amount to theft or criminal misappropriation, prompting legal action against those responsible.