Ld. Advocate(s)

                                    For Complainant: Suvankar Bhattacharya

                                    For OP/OPs : None

            Date of filing of the case                      :29.11.2019

            Date of Disposal  of the case              :30.04.2024

Final Order / Judgment dtd.30.04.2024

 The basic fact of the case  of the complainant  is that complainant Hriday Ranjan Dutta is a consumer under the OP. The complainant is a married person who had wife  namely  Bharati Dutta and one son. The said Bharati Dutta  died on 10.10.2019. After the demise  of Bharati Dutta the complainant  Hriday Ranjan Dutta  used to perform  condolence occasion  on 16.10.2019 of every year to show respect  to the  departed  soul  of Bharati Dutta in which the friends , relatives and  well-known  persons used to attend. The complainant  in order to pay condolence  to said Bharati Dutta used to  invite  the well-known  person  through  newspaper  publication. On 23.09.2019 the complainant  went to the OP No.1 Subhas Karmakar proprietor  of Shilposree at R.N. Tagore Road, Krishnagar for  publication of the said occasion of 16.10.2019 for the memory  of dead of Bharati Dutta  in the Daily Bengali Bartaman  Newspaper. The OP No.1 assured  the complainant  that he will  publish  the said invitation  on 16.10.2019 in the Daily Bartaman  Newspaper  for which  the OP No.1 received Rs.2067/- for publication  of the said article. The  OP NO.1 is the Bartaman  Newspaper  in whose  newspaper  the publication  was supposed to be taken place by OP No.1. The OP No.1 also issued  cash memo  being no. 470 dated 25.09.2019 to the complainant  for the said newspaper   publication.  In order to  perform the said function  for the memory  of Late Bharati Dutta  the complainant  hired Lodge  at Krishnagar  on 16.10.2019 and arranged  everything  for the said occasion  by engaging  local caterer. It was expected  that more than 500  persons including friends and  relatives  etc.  will attend  the said occasion  in order to  homage to the  departed  soul  of diseased  Bharati Dutta. After purchasing  the Daily  Newspaper  of 16.10.2019  the complainant  found that  the said advertisement was not published  by the opposite parties in the Daily Newspaper  of Bartaman Patrika. Due to the said  non-publish  of the said notice in the Bartaman  Newspaper dated 16.10.2019 non- of the  invitees  attended  the said ceremony. So, the  complainant was  deeply  depressed  mentally  and suffered financial loss  for arranging  the said  occasion  for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- for hiring  the Lodge  and engaging   local caterer  for refreshment  of the invitees.  The aforesaid  Acts  on the part of the  OPs  amount to deficiency in service  for which the complainant  has been  harassed  and ashamed  to the friend circle  of the complainant. The complainant  ,thereafter,  issued a legal notice  to the OPs  on 19.10.2019 by registered post which the OPs received but they did not  give any reply. But the OP NO.2 replied  stating that  OP No.1 is not their authorised  agent and  the OP No.1 has practised  fraud   upon the complainant  who claimed  that he (OP No.1) was  the authorised agent of OP No.2. The complainant , therefore, prayed  for an award  for a sum of Rs.2067/- with interest  towards actual money  paid, Rs.1,00,000/- for arrangement  cost of the said occasion , Rs.1,00,000/- towards harassment  and deficiency in service  and Rs.50,000/- towards litigation cost.

As per order no.11 dated 08.07.2012 & order no. 18 dated 16.12.2022 the case  has been decided to be heard ex-parte against OP No.1&2.

The  complainant in order to substantiate  the case adduced  oral evidence  in the form  of affidavit in chief and documentary evidence by filing  different documents.

The best document in this case  is the original Bartaman  Newspaper  dated 16.10.2019 wherein after the close  scrutiny it is found that there is no publication for the invitation  of the invitee to attend  the condolence progamme of  Late Bharati Dutta on 16.10.2019..

The complainant  categorically  stated that  he invited  friends and relatives  through newspaper publication of Bartaman  Partika  to pay  homage  and condolence  to Late Bharati Dutta. The complainant also proved  one receipt also publication  of invitation  on 16.10.2019 the said publication  was made through  OP No.1 Shilposree at agency  on payment  of Rs.2067/- vide receipt no. 470 dated 25.09.2019. 

The  Xerox copy of photograph of Bharati Dutta with condolence stands also proved .

The complainant  further proved  a receipt of She Chaitanno Gourio Math dated 15.10.2019 for “Prosada Seva”.

Another best document  stands  also proved  which shows  that the Bartaman  Patrika  issued one letter to Mr. Suvankar Bhattacharjee, Advocate  on 22.10.2019 stating inter-alia  that they do not have any office/authorised agency  either in the name  as mentioned  in the letter  or at R.N. Tagore  Road, Krishnagar for collection  of advertisement.

The entire oral  documentary  evidence  stands unchallenged  and undiscarded in as much as  the case is heard ex-parte  against  both the OPs.

After  assessing  the entire  unchallenged  and undiscarded  evidence  of the complainant  the Commission comes  to the finding  that the complainant  successfully proved  the case against  the opposite parties upto the hilt.

The aforesaid  misdeeds  on the part of the OP No.1 tantamounts  to deficiency in service for  which the complainant  is entitled to get the award  as per the  complaint.

In the result  the complaint case succeeds ex-parte against the OPs with cost

Hence,

                              It is

Ordered

that the complaint case no.CC/374/2019 be and the same is allowed ex-parte against the OP No.1&2 with cost of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees ten thousand). The complainant do get an award for a sum of Rs.2067/- (Rupees two thousand sixty seven) with interest @12% p.a  from 16.10.2019 till the payment , Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees one lakh) towards  actual money  claimed to have been  spent  by the complainant , Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees one lakh) towards  harassment  for deficiency in service  and Rs.10,000/- (Rupees ten thousand) towards  litigation cost. The OP No.1 is directed to  pay Rs.2,12,067/- (Rupees two lakh twelve thousand sixty seven) to the complainant  within  30 days from the date of passing the final order failing which the entire award money  shall carry an interest @12% p.a from the date of final order till the date of its realisation.

All Interim Applications  (I.A) stand disposed of  accordingly.

D.A to note in the trial register.

The case is accordingly disposed of.

Let a copy of this final order be supplied to both the parties at free of costs.               

Dictated & corrected by me

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                PRESIDENT

(Shri   HARADHAN MUKHOPADHYAY,)                            ................ ..........................................

                                                                                                                          PRESIDENT

                                                                                        (Shri   HARADHAN MUKHOPADHYAY,)

I  concur,

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          MEMBER                                                                

(  SHRI NIROD  BARAN   ROY  CHOWDHURY)