S.SAGHIR AHMAD, J.

(1) THE complaint instituted by the appellant before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on 7-12-1993 was disposed of by the National Commission on 7-6-1996 by the judgment impugned in this appeal by which the parties have been relegated to a civil suit with the observation that the time spent by the appellant before the Commission in pursuing the remedy there would not be counted towards the period of limitation provided for the filing of the suit.

(2) DURING the pendency of the case before the National Commission, the parties had filed their pleadings, documents and their affidavits. The Commission had also heard the arguments and had also obtained the written synopsis from the parties. It was at this stage that the Commission held that the parties may better institute a suit in the civil court as the case involved complicated questions of fact.

(3) SUCH a controversy was also involved in Amar Jwala Paper Mills (India) v. State Bank of India in which this Court, inter alia, held that:

"4. While we would be reluctant to interfere with an order of the Commission that decides at an initial stage of a complain