Sri S.K.Sahoo,President.

            This   petition is   filed by the   complainant   U/s. 35 of  C.P.Act, 2019.

2.         The  case of the  complainant is  that  he   is  a permanent resident of Vill. Kantimili, Sanamunda  of Dhenkanl District.  The opp.parties  are running  “Hamara India Credit Co-operative Society Ltd.,” known as “ Sahara Credit Co-operative Society Ltd,”  for  earning   profit  and  got  their  branch office AT Angul  town  along  with other  places. The  complainant being  influenced by the opp.parties and their agent  in the year 2018  i.e on 30.05.2018  opened four numbers   of account   bearing No. 12537401746,12537401749, 12537401750 & 12537401751, and  deposited  an amount of  Rs.  20,800.00, Rs.4,000.00,Rs.4,400.00 & Rs.19,450.00   respectively  .All those  deposits were under fixed  deposit  scheme  for  a  period 24 months  which are  to be  matured on 30.05.2020. All the deposits were made by the complainant  to earn his livelihood. Accordingly certificates No. 438000808192, 438000808193, 438000808194 & 438000808195 were issued  in favour of the  complainant  by the  office of the opp.parties. The  complainant is  entitled to   Rs. 26,092.00,Rs.5,018.00, Rs.5,519 & Rs.24,398.00,in toto Rs. 61,027.00  from the opp.parties  after maturity. Inspite of   personal approach  to opp.party No.1 and  through telephone  to other opp.parties they did not  disburse  the maturity  amount along  with   other  benefits to the complainant. On 10.11.2020  the  complainant went to the office of opp.party No.1  with a written application  with a prayer  for disbursal of  the  maturity  amount but the  opp.party No.1 refused to  receive the application and    refused  to pay the  maturity amount. Hence this case for the maturity amount  along  with  interest  and compensation  for  deficiency in service  , unfair  trade practice  ,litigation cost and other reliefs.

3.         Notices  were issued  to all the   opp.parties through Regd. Post with A.D on 16.01.2021. The A.Ds  of all the opp.parties  are available  in the case record which shows  service notice on them. Inspite  of such  notice  to all the opp.parties through Regd. Post with A.D and receipts of the same  they did not appear  before this  authority nor    written statement  was filed.  Only on 12.10.2022  opp.party No.1  appeared   through  his  advocate and challenged the  maintainability of the present proceeding  before this Commission. By order dtd. 28.12.2022 the  petition filed by the Learned Counsel for the opp.party No.1  challenging   the maintainability has been heard  and disposed of. The  point of  maintainability of the  present  proceeding  is  to  be decided along  with  other issues.

4.         It is the  specific  plea   of the opp.party No.1 that the  complainant   is a member of   Sahara Co-operative Society Ltd , as  such he   is not a consumer as described  under C.P.Act, 2019. He has  relied  on a decision of Hon’ble National  Commission, New Delhi passed in Revision Petition No. 4871  of 2012  namely M/S. Anjana Abraham Chembethil Vrs.  Managing Director, Koothattukulam Farmers Services Co-operative  Bank .

            On the  other hand  the learned counsel for the complainant relied  on the following decisions :-

(i). Ram Kanwar Vrs. Sahara India Pariwar Pvt Ltd., of  Hon’ble State Commission,U.T,Chhandigarh , passed on 28.09.2021.

(ii). The  judgment passed on 21.07.2020 by  Hon’ble National Commission,New Delhi  in Revision Petition No. 4044  of 2014 in Branch Manager, Sahara India Vrs. Raj Kumari Devi .

(iii). The  judgment  passed  by the Hon’ble  Supreme Court of India  in Civil Appeal No. 64/2010 ,65/2010,66/2010,67/2010 and 68/2010 in the case of   Virendra Jain Vrs. Alaknanda Co-operative  Group Housing Society  Ltd. and  others  passed  on 23.04.2013.

(iv). The  judgment  passed by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Civil Appeal No.  92 of 1998   passed on 11.12.2003  in the  case of  The Secretary,Thirumurugan Co-operative Agricultural Credit Society  Vrs. M.Lalitha (dead) through LRs. & Ors.

5.         Perused the  judgments relied  on by both the parties. On perusal of the   photo copies of  certificates  filed by  the  complainant it is  clear  that the  complainant is  a member  of  the co-operative  society  of the opp.parties  business organization. It is  also clear  from the  evidence  on  record  that the  complainant has  deposited  different   amounts  and  certificates  were issued in  his  favour  by the  society of the opp.parties. Even though  he  is  a member of  the society of the opp.parties he  has invested   certain amounts to earn  the maturity  amount  on  his deposits. From the  judgment  pronounced  by the  different  Commissions and  the Hon’ble Supreme Court relied on  by the complainant it is  crystal  clear  that the  complaint  is  a  consumer   U/s. 2(7)  of C.P.Act, 2019. So the  plea  of  the opp.parties   that the  present  complaint  petition  filed by the  complainant is   not   maintainable    is  not  acceptable  at all .So  the  present  complaint  filed by the  complainant is   maintainable  before  this Commission.

6.         From the  complaint petition and  the  certificates issued by the opp.parties  in favour of the  complainant  it is clear that the  complainant has deposited   different   amounts  with  the society of the opp.parties on 03.05.2018  and   are  to be  matured  on 30.05.2020 .The  certificate No. 438000808195 is to be matured  on  30.05.2020 and the maturity  amount  is 24,398.00. The  certificate No. 438000808194  having  amount  of Rs.4,400.00  is to be matured on 30.05.2020  with  maturity  amount of Rs. 30.05.2020.Certificate No. 438000808192 with  deposit  amount of  Rs. 20,800.00  is to be matured on 30.05.2020  with maturity   value  of  Rs.26,092.00 .Certificate  No. 438000808193  with  deposited amount of Rs. 4,000.00  is to be  matured on  30.05.2020 with maturity value  of Rs. 5,018.00 .It is also  clear  from the  materials  on record that  inspite of  several approach  to the opp.parties they are not paying the maturated  amount  to the  complainant  after the date of maturity  i.e  on 30.05.2020. Even  after getting  notice in this case the opp.parties did not take any steps   for payment of the  matured amount. Hence the   complainant  is entitled to the  matured amount along with  interest @12%  there on from the date of maturity. The deposits  with the opp.parties are to be  treated as a fixed  deposit and the  complainant  is  entitled to get interest  on the matured  amount since 30.05.2020  till payment is made.

7.         Hence  ordered :-

: O R D E R :

            The  case  be  and   same  is  allowed  in part on  contest against the  opp.party No.1 and  exparte  against the  opp.party No.2 & 3. The opp.parties  are  jointly and severally liable   for   payment to the  complainant. The  opp.parties are directed to pay  Rs. 61,027.00 along with  interest @ 12 % p.a  from the  date of maturity   until payment is  made. The above opp.parties  are also directed to pay  an amount of Rs. 15,000.00 (Rupees Fifteen Thousand)only as compensation and Rs.5000.00 (Rupees Five Thousand) only  towards  litigation expenses. The  opp.parties  are  further  directed to comply the  order  within  a period  of one  month of   receipt  of this  order, failing  which   they are liable  to pay penal interest @ 16% per annum,  on the  amount  due  by the  complainant.