SUB POST MASTER Vs. DIPTI DAS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This revision petition is filed under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (in short, the 'Act') assails the order of the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, Kolkata, West Bengal (in short, 'State Commission') in First Appeal No. A/1389/2014 dtd. 6/12/2016 arising out of order dtd. 17/9/2014 in complaint no. 67/2013 of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Burdwan (in short, 'District Forum'). This order disposes off revision petitions in RP Nos.09, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of 2018 which arise from a similar grievance and the same order of the State Commission.

(2.) Respondents are holders of Monthly Income Scheme (MIS) accounts promoted by the Post Office in the Burnpur Market Sub Post Office, District Burdwan, West Bengal and had approached the District Forum alleging deficiency in service on the ground that interest was not being remitted to their accounts. The petitioner herein had contested the complaint on the ground that the accounts had been opened by the complainants through the agency of someone who was not an authorised agent of the Post Office and that the MIS accounts were therefore fake placing no liability on the Post Office. The complaints were dismissed by the District Forum; however, the State Commission allowed the appeals and directed that the sum deposited in the MIS accounts be refunded with 9% interest per annum from the date of filing of the complaint before the District Forum till the date of final payment along with litigation costs. The petitioner has impugned the order of the State Commission allowing the appeal of the respondents. For the sake of convenience, facts of the case are taken from the petition filed against Shib Shankar Bhattacharya in RP 2356 of 2017, in whose case Rs.1,00,500.00 was directed to be refunded with 9% interest from 26/3/2013, the date of filing the complaint before the District Forum with Rs.4000.00 as cost.

(3.) We have heard the learned counsel for the parties and perused the records carefully.