UNION OF INDIA Vs. RAJESH KUMAR YADAV

JUDGEMENT

(1.) It is an appeal against the order dated 6.7.1998 of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Amritsar (hereinafter called the District Forum ).

(2.) Admitted facts are that the complainant-respondent had sent a money order of Rs.1,000/- to his father Kedar Nath at Gaon Nandi Khehra, Post Office Hilloli, Bada Morawan, District Unnav, Uttar Pradesh on 10.10.1997. Amount of the money order was given to the addressee on 23.6.1998. Cause of delay was that the complainant had written the names of the two Post Offices namely, Post Office Hilloli and Bada Morawan Vill. Nandi Khehra, Distt. Unnav, Uttar Pradesh instead of mentioning the correct name of the Post Office, which is Post Office Hilloli. Money order's amount was sent to Gaon Nandi Khehra, P. O. Hilloli, Bada Morawan, Distt. Unnav, Uttar Pradesh.

(3.) The Postal Authorities of these two Post Offices had a knowledge in which area of the Post Office village Gaon Nandi Khehra falls. Even if the complainant had written the names of the two Post Offices i. e. , Hilloli and Bada Morawan, money order amount was to be delivered to the addressee on account of obvious knowledge of the Postal Authorities of P. O. Hilloli and Bada Morawan that village Gaon Nandi Khehra is in the jurisdiction of P. O. Hilloli and was not in the jurisdiction of Post Office Bada Morawan. Even if for arguments sake, it is believed that the concerned officials of Post Office had no knowledge under which Post Office Village Gaon Nandi Khehra fell, the amount of money order should have been sent back to the complainant instead of retaining the amount of the money order from 10.10.1997 till the date of delivery of the amount to the addressee. Strangely enough, the Postal Authorities took eight months to deliver the amount to the addressee, simply because the complainant had written the names of two Post offices namely, Hilloli and Bada Morawan. It was not difficult for the Postal Authorities to know about the factual position as to in which area the jurisdiction of village Gaon Nandi Khehra fell. District Forum has, thus, rightly held that there was an inordinate delay in delivering the amount of the money order to the addressee and the opposite party was guilty of deficiency in service in causing delay of about eight months in delivering the amount of the money order to the addressee. In these circumstances, we do not find any infirmity in the order of the District Forum. Resultantly, this appeal is dismissed.