West Bengal

Paschim Midnapore

CC/201/2017

Gunadhar Das - Complainant(s)

Versus

The Post Master - Opp.Party(s)

Tapas Adhya

27 Apr 2018

ORDER

DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL FORUM

PASCHIM MEDINIPUR.

 

Bibekananda Pramanik, President,

 Pulak Kumar Singha, Member

and

                                        Sagarika Sarkar, Member.                               

Complaint Case No.201/2017.

 

                                                                Gunadhar Das  S/o-Late Radhanath Das

                                                                   At Kultikri, P.O.-Kultikri, P.S.-Sankrail,

                                                                              District-Paschim Medinipur.

                                                                                                                        ………….Complainant.               

                                                                                                          -Versus-                                                                                     

 

                                                                           1.The Postmaster, Kultikri Sub-Post Office,

                                                                                 At Kultikri, P.O.-Kultikri,  P.S.-Sankrail,

                                                                                        Dist.Paschim Medinipur,  Pin-721130;

                                                                  2.The Superintendent of  Post Office,  Midnapore  Division,

                                               P.O.-Midnapore, Dist.-Paschim Medinipur,  Pin-721101.

                                                                                                                             ………….Opposite Parties.

                                       

                                           For the Complainant: Mr.Tapas Adhya, Advocate.

                             For the O.P.  :  Mr. Sukumar Parya,  Advocate.

                                                          

                                                                                         Date of filling:-  27/12/2017

  Decided on : -    27/04/2018

 

                                                                                                        

Sagarika Sarkar, Member – This instant case is filed u/s-12 of the C.P. Act, 1986 by the complainant ,Gunadhar Das, S/o-Late Radhanath Das alleging deficiency in service on the part of the above mentioned O.P.

                  Complainant’s case, in brief, is as follows :-                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                          Contd………………...P/2.

 

 

                                                                                               ( 2 )

                 The Complainant sent Rs.2000/- from Kuiltikri to his relative one Purnima Nath at Bankura through Money Order from the Post Office of the O.P.No.1 vide Money Order Receipt No.A-1140 on 29.12.15 and the complainant paid Rs.100/- for charges of said Money Order to the O.P.No.1. Thereafter the complainant came to know that the said money order did not reach at the said destination. It is stated in the petition of complaint that the complainant intimated the said facts to the O.P.-Post Office and South Bengal Jogayog Bhaban on 22.1.2016. After knowing the facts Assistant Director of Postal Service Department replied that they would take necessary steps to settle the matter very soon but did not do the same till filing this complaint. It is further stated in the petition of complaint that the complainant went to the office of O.P.-Post Office on 18.12.17 and after that on several occasions he went there and requested them to take proper steps to get back the amount of money order but all were in vain. It is the specific allegation of the  complainant that after his several requests the O.P.-Post Office did not turn up to settle the matter which amounts to deficiency in service on the part of the O.Ps. Accordingly the complainant has prayed for direction upon the O.Ps. to pay Rs.2,000/- along with 12% interest and to pay Rs.50,000/- as compensation  and Rs.10,000/- as litigation cost.

             O.Ps. have contested this case filing a joint written version. Denying and disputing the material allegation label against them, it is the case of the O.Ps. that the Kultikri Sub Post Office was under the administrative  control of Contai Postal Division up-to 19/11/2017 and after that period came under the administrative control of Midnapore Postal Division and at the time of transition from Kultikri to Bankura the  money order in question was lost in transit and for that reason the same was not delivered within reasonable time. It is further stated by the O.Ps. that after enquiry on 12/01/2018 they paid the value of money order to the payee through duplicate Money Order on 04/02/2018. Therefore it was not willful negligence on the part of the Post Office and as they have already delivered the said amount to the payee so they have no deficiency in service at all. Accordingly the O.Ps. have prayed for dismissal of the case.

In support of his case complainant has examined himself as PW-1 and during his evidence some documents are marked as exhibit 1 to 4 respectively.  On the other hand the O.Ps.  adduced no oral evidence but they have relied upon a document which was marked as exhibit-A after objection.    

                                                                                                                                                           Contd………………...P/3.

 

 

                                                                                                      ( 3 )                                                                              

                                                 Points for decision

 

1. Whether the complainant  is consumer under the O.Ps. ?
2. Whether there is deficiency in service on the part of the O.Ps ?
3. Whether the complainant is entitled to get the reliefs as prayed for ?

Decision with reasons:

           

Point No. 1 :-

                    Admittedly the complainant sent Rs.2,000/-  through Money Order from the O.P.-Post Office on 29/12/2015 by paying Rs.100/- for Money Order Charges to the O.P.-Post Office and thus becomes consumer under the O.P.-Post Office as per section 2(1)(d) of C.P. Act.                                                                                       

                  Point No.1 is decided accordingly.

 

Point No.2 :-

                 Admittedly the complainant sent Rs.2,000/- through money order from the Post Office of the O.P. no.1 on 29/12/2015 and said money order did not reach to the payee till filing this case on 27/12/2017. After a considerable period has been lapsed the complainant informed said facts to the Superintendent of Post Office at Contai vide letter dated 11/01/2016 (exhibit-2) in reply to which the said authority ensured the complainant by sending a letter stating that The receipt of your complaint letter dated 16/01/2016 is hereby acknowledged and the same has been forwarded to the Sr. Supdt. of  Post Office Midnapore for taking necessary action to settle your case early. However, thereafter no step had been taken by the O.P. to pay the said money order to the payee till filing of his case. It was however paid on 04/02/2018 to the payee after the O.P.-Post Office was informed about the filing of  instant case where from it is evident that the delivery of the said money order took time for more than 2 years. Since the O.Ps. were entrusted with the responsibility to deliver the amount which was deposited by the  complainant with them in form of ‘Money Order, non-payment of the same beyond even a long spell of time  clearly indicates fault in the manner of performance which was required to be maintained by the O.P.-Post Office as per section 2(1)(O) of C.P. Act and as such it is the glaring example of deficiency in service on the part of the O.Ps.

                Point no.2 is decided accordingly in favour of the complainant.

Point No.3 :-

                 In view of our above findings the complainant should get compensation and litigation cost as the O.Ps. compelled him to file this case and  thus caused mental pain and agony.

                                                                                                                                                       Contd…………………….P/4

 

                                                       

                                                                                                                 ( 4 )

 

                Since the complainant ordered for payment of money to the payee and deposited money with the postal department and since it is evident from exhibit ‘A’ that the said Money Order has already been delivered on 04/02/2018 to the payee so the complainant is not entitled to get back the value of said Money Order.

            All points are accordingly disposed of.                                                                                    

             In the result the complaint case succeeds in part.

                           

                               Hence, it is,

 

                                                ORDERED

       

                                                  that the Complaint Case No.201/17 is allowed in the part  on contest with cost against the O.Ps.

                 O.Ps. are directed to pay Rs.1,000/- towards compensation and Rs.1,000/- towards  litigation cost to the complainant within one month from this date of order. 

                 Let plain copy of this order be given to the parties free of cost.                                                                                                                                                                                       

Dictated and corrected by me

         Sd/- S. Sarkar                             Sd/-P.K. Singha                 Sd/-B. Pramanik.                                    

               Member                                      Member                              President 

                                                                                                         District Forum

                                                                                                     Paschim Medinipur