Circuit bench of consumer forum to hear 153 cases

The purpose of holding a circuit bench is to give justice at the doorstep of consumers, so that they need not travel to New Delhi for seeking redressal of their grievances. The bench will only hear cases pertaining to Haryana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

Among the cases the commission will hear is that of Ashok Chugh, a resident of Faridabad who had found a crown with a yellow band printed over it, from a bottle of Coca-Cola purchased by him in September 1998.

During the period between September, 1998 to October, 1998 a scheme known as Piyo Coca-Cola Dekho Karishma was in progress.

It was an offer where a person who found a Coca-Cola bottle having a yellow band, would be eligible for luxuries. Ashok’s yellow band had made him eligible for a flat in Andheri, Mumbai.

As per the conditions of the above said scheme, the band which also had the visual of the prize was to be removed from the crown and mailed to the company’s office in New Delhi with full name and address of the sender in a sealed envelope. Only entries received by October, 26, 1998 were eligible for award of prizes.

Coca Cola had contested Ashok’s prize by stating that they had received the mail after October 26,1998 and thus, was not a valid entry. The district consumer disputes redressal forum, Faridabad had ordered Coca-Cola to give Ashok the possession of the flat.

Coca-cola challenged the forum’s order and their appeal was accepted by the Haryana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Later, Ashok appealed this order and the case was moved to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

In August 2007, Daljit Kaur a resident of Kaithal experienced pain in her abdomen and visited Shah Hospital.

Following a medical check up, she was informed that there was a uterus stone in her abdomen. She was accordingly operated but despite repeated medication her pain was still present. She was then asked to undergo an another operation. She complied, but despite the second operation the pain persisted.

She then visited the Kidney Centre hospital in Chandigarh where she was informed that while conducting the operation, the doctor’s of Shah hospital had negligently punctured the urinary bladder and also damaged the kidney of complainant, which was a permanent disability.