Haryana

Ambala

CC/322/2012

NAVEEN KUMARI D/O HAWA SINGH - Complainant(s)

Versus

FRANKFINN,INSTITUTE OF AIR HOSTESS - Opp.Party(s)

R.K.S.CHANDEL

08 Dec 2015

ORDER

BEFORE THE DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL FORUM, AMBALA.

                       Complaint Case No.:   322 of 2012

Date of Institution    :  26.11.2012

Date of Decision   :     08.12.2015

 

Ms. Naveen Kumari daughter of Shri Hawa Singh Rathi, resident of House No.94, Babyal Road, Near Bhagat Ji Mandir, VPO Babyal, District Ambala.

                                                                    …….Complainant                                                                                                   

  Versus

1.       Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training (A unit of Frankfinn Aviation Services (P) Ltd.), 171-A, Duggal’s Building 2^nd  Floor, Vijay Rattan Chowk, Ambala Cantt, through its Principal.

2.       Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training (A unit of Frankfinn Aviation Services (P) Ltd.) Registered Office: 721, Suneja Towers-II, Janakpuri District Centre, New Delhi-110058 through its Director.

3.       Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training (A unit of Frankfinn Aviation Services ( P) Ltd.) Corporate Office: Best Building, A Wing 5^th Floor, S.V. Road, Opposite Andheri Railway Station, Andheri (W) Mumbai-400058 through its CMD/Corporate Officer (Director).                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                             ……Opposite Parties

Complaint under Section 12 of the  Consumer Protection Act.

CORAM:    SH. A.K. SARDANA, PRESIDENT.

                   SH. PUSHPENDER KUMAR, MEMBER.                  

Present:       Sh. R.K.S. Chandel, Adv. counsel for complainant.

                   Ops exparte.

ORDER

                    Present complaint has been filed by complainant alleging therein that she took admission in the Institute of Ops for Certificate Course in Aviation Hospitality & Travel Management (Air Hostess). At the time of admission, a sum of Rs.5618/- & Rs.16854/- were deposited with the Ops on 30.04.2012 as admission/registration fee etc. It has been submitted that due to illness of Hepatitis B (Jaundice), complainant neither joined the institution nor attended any class in the institute. So, the complainant  requested the Ops for refund of admission fee of Rs.22,472/-  alongwith the documents of complainant but the Ops did not pay any heed to the genuine requests of complainant. As such, a legal notice dated 27.09.2012 for return of the admission fee as well as documents; served upon the Ops but of no use. As such, having no alternative, complainant has preferred the present complaint.

2.                Upon notice, Ops did not bother to appear despite registered notices. As such, they were proceeded against exprte vide order dated 29.01.2013.

3.                In evidence, complainant tendered her affidavits as Annexure C-X & C-Y alongwith documents as Annexures C-1 to C-11 and closed the evidence.

4.                We have heard the learned counsel for complainant and gone through the record very carefully. During the course of arguments, counsel for complainant reiterated the contents of complaint and submitted the case laws titled as Sai Correspondence College Vs. Harkrishna D. (NC) reported in 2004(3) CLT Pg. 148, Comed-K Vs. T. Nagamani reported  in 2009(2) CPJ Pg. 314 (NC) and Nipun Nagar Vs. Symbiosis Institute  of International Business reported in 2009 (1) CPJ Pg. 3 (NC) to strengthen his case.

5.                Before proceeding further, the foremost question arises for consideration before the Forum is “Whether the educational institutions are providing any service to the students?”

                   In P.T. Koshy & Anr. Versus Ellen Charitable Trust & Ors. reported in 2012(3) CPC Pg. 615 (SC), Hon’ble Apex court after referring to judgment Maharshi Dayanand University Vs. Surjeet Kaur 2010 (11) SCC 159 has held that education is not commodity and Educational institutions are not providing any service. Therefore, in the matter of admission, fee etc. there cannot be a question of deficiency in service. Such matters cannot be entertained  by the Consumer Fora under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. 

Further in case titled as Bihar School Examination Board Vs. Suresh Parshad Sinha, reported in CPJ 2009(IV) Pg.34 (SC), Hon’ble Supreme court has  held that the examination fee paid by student is not a consideration for availment of service, but charge paid for privilege of participation in examination.  It has also been held that education Boards and universities are not ‘Service provider’ and the complaints against them are not maintainable under the Consumer Protection Act. 

                   Further, in another case titled as ICL Institute of Management and Technology Vs. Ranjit Singh & Anr. First Appeal No.166 of 2014 decided on 12.05.2014, our Hon’ble State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Haryana, Panchkula has held that the complaint for refund of fees was not maintainable under the Consumer Protection Act before the Fora.

                   In view of the legal position enunciated above, present complaint is not maintainable before this Forum under the Consumer Protection Act, hence, the same is hereby dismissed with no order as to costs. However, the complainant shall have liberty to seek his grievance before the proper Forum or Civil Court, as per law.  Complainant can seek help for condonation of delay in accordance with law laid down in Luxmi Engineering Works Vs. PSG Industrial Institute reported in SCC 1995(3) Pg. 583. Copies of this order be sent to the parties concerned, free of costs, as per rules. File after due compliance be consigned to record room.  

Announced:08.12.2015                                                         Sd/-

                                                                              (A.K. SARDANA)

         PRESIDENT                 

 

                                                                                            Sd/-

     (PUSHPENDER KUMAR)

                                                                                      MEMBER