P.M. SADANANTHAN Vs. THARA REJIMON

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is a financier. In 2007, the first respondent's husband and the 2nd and 3rd respondents' father, now no more, availed himself of two loans by pledging gold ornaments as security. Later, a dispute arose about what should be the rate of interest the financier should charge. Eventually, the matter led to a consumer dispute before the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Alappuzha.

(2.) The learned Consumer Forum, through Ext.P1 Order dated 06.07.2010, in C.C. No. 140 of 2010, directed the financier to charge interest at 12% and to release the gold ornaments on the borrower's paying the loan amount along with interest. Aggrieved, the financier filed appeal No. 43/2011 before the Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Trivandrum ("the Commission").

(3.) As seen from the record, pending the appeal, the borrower died. The financier, as an appellant, filed the Ext.P3 impleadment petition proposing to bring on record the borrower's legal heirs-respondents 1 to In fact, the financier filed the impleadment petition because of the information supplied by the borrower's counsel through Ext.P4 that the borrower died on 009.2012.