HEAD POST OFFICE HOSHIARPUR Vs. RANJEET KUMAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) MR. Justice S. N. Aggarwal, President-Ranjeet Kumar respondent had sent a parcel through the appellants on 27. 6. 2006 to his friend Sunil Sharma working in Kulak Construction Company, Tallil Air Base, Logcap-3, Iraq. The said parcel contained four pieces of trousers (pents), four shirt pieces, three T-shirts, two pieces of lower, two underwear, two undershirts, one piece towel and cosmetic products. The respondent had made the payment of Rs. 1,725 as charges and Rs. 212 as tax. After about 15 days the respondent contacted his friend in Iraq on telephone and came to know that the parcel had not yet reached him. Then the respondent contacted the appellants to know the whereabouts of the parcel but no satisfactory reply was given. The value of the articles in the parcel was Rs. 9,500. Hence the respondent filed the complaint in the learned District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Hoshiarpur (in short "district Forum" ).

(2.) THE appellants filed written statement. Preliminary objections were pleaded and the case was also contested on merits. The appellants admitted that the articles of the respondent were booked by speed post on 27. 6. 2006 but the value of the articles was denied for want of knowledge. It was also pleaded that the Hoshiarpur office had sent every bag of speed post to Jalandhar and the speed post articles were delivered through Jalandhar only. The speed post articles of the respondents were accordingly despatched to Jalandhar on 27. 6. 2006 itself for onward delivery at the place of destination and, therefore, there is no deficiency in service on the part of the appellants. Dismissal of the complaint was prayed.

(3.) THE respondent tendered his affidavit Ex. C-1 and Postal Receipt Ex. C-2. On the other hand, the appellants tendered the affidavit of K. S. Bhogal, Senior Post Master, Hoshiarpur as Ex. R-1.