PROFESSIONAL COURIERS Vs. KUSUM AGGARWAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition has been filed under sec. 21(b) of the Act 1986 in challenge to the Order dtd. 1/4/2014 of the State Commission in appeal no. 784 of 2011 arising out of the Order dtd. 28/3/2011 of the District Commission in complaint no. 944 of 2009.

(2.) Heard the learned counsel for the two sides. Perused the material on record, including the Order dtd. 28/3/2011 of the District Commission, the impugned Order dtd. 1/4/2014 of the State Commission and the petition.

(3.) Briefly, the complainant (the respondent herein) sent a letter along with a draft of Rs.81,000.00, being a scheduled instalment, to the Ludhiana Improvement Trust, Ludhiana, through the courier services firm (the petitioners herein). The letter, along with the accompanying draft, was not delivered in time. Resultantly the Improvement Trust imposed penalty and interest for not depositing the instalment in time. The State Commission vide its impugned Order dtd. 1/4/2014 held the courier services firm deficient in not delivering the letter and the accompanying draft in time and awarded Rs.80,000.00 to the complainant to compensate her for the penalty and interest imposed by the Trust.