DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION, BARNALA, PUNJAB.

Complaint Case No : CC/85/2022

Date of Institution   : 07.03.2022

Date of Decision    : 14.12.2022

Kamaljit Singh son of Sh. Babu Singh resident of Chohanke Khurd, Village Chohanke Kalan, Tehsil and District Barnala.     

                …Complainant Versus

1. M/s Sahara India Parivar, Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Limited, Opposite Polo Ground, Near Sethi Sales Corp., Lower Mall, Near Modi College, Patiala, District Patiala through its Branch Manager. 

2. M/s Sahara India Parivar, Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Limited,  SCO No. 1110-1111, Sector 22-B, Chandigarh, through its Regional Manager.

3. M/s Sahara India Parivar, Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Limited, Registered Office: Sahara India Bhawan, 1, Kapoorthala Complex, Aliganj, Lucknow-226024, Uttar Pradesh, through its Chairman Cum Managing Director Survot Rai Sahara.   

           …Opposite Parties

Complaint Under Section 35 of Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Present: Sh. R.K. Singla counsel for complainant.

Sh. N.K. Garg counsel for opposite parties.

Quorum:-

1. Sh. Ashish Kumar Grover : President

2.Smt. Urmila Kumari : Member

3.Sh. Navdeep Kumar Garg : Member

 

(ORDER BY ASHISH KUMAR GROVER, PRESIDENT):

The complainant namely Kamaljit Singh has filed the present complaint under Consumer Protection Act, (amended upto date) against M/s Sahara India Parivar and others (hereinafter referred as opposite parties).  

2. The facts leading to the present complaint are that the opposite parties is a registered limited company and the opposite party No. 1 is the branch office of opposite parties. It is further alleged that the opposite parties company advertised for public to get investment in Sahara Special Fixed Deposit Scheme and assured maximum interest on deposits on maturity. The opposite parties advised the complainant to deposit money in the Sahara Special Fixed Deposit Scheme of opposite parties and assured maximum interest per annum in the scheme on the deposited as per the terms and conditions of the Deposit Plan and the maturity amount will be paid to the investors. On trusting the words of opposite parties, the  complainant invested the total amount of Rs.  7,000/- on 10.6.2013 in the said Sahara Special Fixed Deposit Scheme (FD) of 96 months and the opposite parties issued certificate/receipt in this regard. It is further alleged that after the maturity date the complainant on the advice of opposite parties surrendered the said original receipt/certificate with the office of opposite parties on 15.6.2021 as per plan. The complainant is entitled to get Rs. 18,284/- as maturity amount. Thereafter, the complainant approached the opposite parties to get the maturity amount. But the opposite parties avoided the complainant on one pretext or the other and flatly refused to pay back the money to complainant. Hence, the present complaint is filed for seeking the following reliefs.- 

i) To pay a sum of Rs. 18,284/- alongwith interest @ 18% per annum from the date of maturity till realization.

ii) To pay Rs. 1,00,000/-  as compensation and Rs. 11,000/- as litigation expenses.  

3. Upon notice of this complaint, the opposite parties appeared and filed joint written version taking preliminary objections interalia on the grounds that the complainant has not come to the Forum with clean hands and the complaint is misconceived, baseless and unsustainable in the eyes of law. It is further averred that the complainant is not a 'consumer' of opposite parties. Further, the opposite party is a Society duly registered under “Multi State Co-operative Society Act, 2002” and the complainant is member of the Society. As such, for any dispute between Society and Member, consumer complaint is not maintainable. On merits, it is submitted that the complainant contacted the office of Society to become a member for participating in the scheme for taking/gaining benefit of Society. The complainant after understanding the terms and conditions, bylaws and objects of the society has become a member and invested an amount of Rs. 7,000/- under the scheme of the company at Barnala office of the Society. It is further submitted that the complainant has concocted a story and has filed the present complaint claiming payment which is against the terms and conditions of the agreement. Moreover, the complainant has no right to claim against the terms of the agreement. It is further submitted that due to economic crisis and financial constraint the answering opposite parties was rendered unable to make the payment of contribution amount and its benefit at one go. As such, the complainant was asked to receive the payment in part/installment, but she willfully refused to receive the same in part. So, due to this reason the above said payment could not have been made. Therefore, there is no deficiency in service on their part and prayed for the dismissal of complaint. 

4. In support of his case the complainant tendered into evidence his own affidavit Ex.C-1, copy of certificate Ex.C-2 and closed the evidence. Ld. Counsel for complainant on 20.7.2022 has suffered the statement that he does not want to file any rejoinder on behalf of complainant.  

5. On the other hand, to rebut the case of the complainant the opposite parties have failed to produce any evidence and the evidence of opposite parties is closed by the order of this Commission dated 18.10.2022.

6. We have heard the learned counsel for the parties and have gone through the record on file. 

7. In order to prove his case the complainant has placed on record his detailed affidavit Ex.C-1, in which he reiterated the averments as mentioned in the complaint. He has further placed on record copy of certificate Ex.C-2, which shows that a total amount of Rs. 7,000/- has been deposited by the complainant with the opposite parties. 

8. On the other hand, to rebut the case of the complainant the opposite parties have failed to produce on record any evidence and the evidence of opposite parties is closed by the order of this Commission dated 18.10.2022.

9. Further, the subscription of scheme is not disputed between the parties and complainant deposited the total amount of Rs. 7,000/- with the opposite parties is also not disputed. Moreover, from the perusal of the records it has been proved that the complainant has deposited the total amount of Rs. 7,000/- with the opposite parties as per scheme. Further, in Ex.C-2 it shows that the complainant has deposited the amount of Rs. 7,000/- with the opposite parties vide certificate Ex.C-2 in the said scheme and in this regard a certificate has been issued by the opposite parties to the complainant. Further, in Ex.C-2 the maturity amount is also shown alongwith maturity date. So, we are of the view that the complainant has successful in proving that he has deposited the total amount of Rs. 7,000/- with the opposite parties in the shape of fixed deposit for a period of 96 months and the opposite parties are bound to pay the total amount of Rs. 18,284/- as per their certificate Ex.C-2. 

10. However, the opposite parties have raised a preliminary objection in their written version that opposite party is a Society duly registered under “Multi State Co-operative Society Act, 2002” and for any dispute between Society and Member, consumer complaint is not maintainable. In fact, this dispute is with regard to deposit of amount under the scheme of the opposite parties for a particular period and the refund of the same along with benefits. As such, the same certainly amounts to rendering of ‘service’ as defined in the Act. There is element of ‘deficiency in service’ as well as ‘unfair trade practice’ due to non-performance of the contract, whereby service of the opposite parties has been hired by the complainant by depositing the above said amount with them. The Hon’ble Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, in First Appeal No. 127 of 2021 & others in case titled Savitri Devi Vs M/s Saharayan Universal Multipurpose Society Limited, decided on 21.6.2021 has held that Consumer Fora (now Consumer Commission) has jurisdiction to entertain the dispute, where the consumer comes to the Consumer Fora/Commission claiming the deficiency in service and unfair trade practice. In the present case also, consumer-complainant is complaining that the opposite parties have not complied with the terms and conditions of the scheme by not refunding the amount deposited by her along with due benefits. There is no dispute between opposite parties and the complainant regarding management and governance of the Society. Even otherwise, as per Section 3 of the Consumer Protection, 1986, now Section 100 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the remedy available before the Consumer Fora/Commission is an additional remedy. Accordingly the complainant, being member of the opposite parties-Society, falls under the definition of ‘consumer’. 

So, it is proved that the remedy under the Consumer Protection Act is an additional remedy and the Consumer Fora has the jurisdiction to entertain such matters and the dispute between the Member of Society and its Manager not excluded from the Consumer Jurisdiction.

11.   Moreover, it is also mentioned in the written version that due to economic crisis and financial constraint the opposite parties were unable to make the payment to complainant and even the complainant was asked to receive the payment in part/installment. Meaning thereby the opposite parties are ready to refund the amount of complainant in installments. 

12. As a result of the above discussion, the present complaint is partly allowed and opposite parties are directed to pay the amount of Rs. 18,284/- as maturity amount alongwith interest @ 7% per annum from the date of its maturity to the complainant till realization. Further, the opposite parties are also directed to pay Rs. 2,000/- as costs and Rs. 3,000/- as compensation on account of mental agony and harassment to the complainant. Compliance of the order be made within the period of 60 days from the date of the receipt of the copy of this order. Copy of this order be supplied to the parties free of costs. File be consigned to the records after its due compliance.

ANNOUNCED IN THE OPEN COMMISSION:

       14th Day of December, 2022 

 

 

            (Ashish Kumar Grover)

            President

 

(Urmila Kumari)

Member

 

(Navdeep Kumar Garg)

Member