NEW AGE SCIENCE COLLEGE Vs. ARABINDA GHOSE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THESE revision petitions have been filed by New Age +2 Science College and others against 12 individuals, who were their former students. The respondents had filed individual complaints before the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Bhubaneshwar. The complaints were allowed by the District Forum and the orders were appealed by the petitioners before the State Commission, Orissa.

(2.) THE impugned order passed by the State Commission on 27.8.2009 disposes of eleven appeals numbers FA/864 to 874/2007. Now, separate revision petitions have been filed in all the cases. Considering that all these petitions, together with RP No.4458/2009, are concerned with identical set of facts and arise out of a common impugned order, we deem it appropriate to take all these revision petitions for disposal together, through this common order.

(3.) THE petitioner college was established in 2003 and the first batch of students were admitted for the academic sessions of 2003-2005. Academic sessions 2006-07 commenced on 19.6.2006. The problem, which led to the present set of consumer complaints, arose on 3.9.2006, as a result of an alleged scuffle between the class IV staffs and the students. As the situation deteriorated, the management closed the college sine die on 6.9.2006. An FIR with the police was also lodged and the students were asked to vacate the hostel premises. The Directorate of Higher Education Govt. of Orissa intervened and on 19.9.2006 directed the college management to issue transfer certificate to those students who applied for it. Allegedly, these students had to get admission to other colleges in the midst of the academic sessions and therefore, filed consumer complaints to seek refund of the fees paid by them.