JUDGMENT

Madan B. Lokur, J.

In these appeals a very short question has arisen, namely, whether a complaint can be filed by a Trust under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (for short, `the Act'). The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (for short, `National Commission') answered the question in the negative and we are in agreement with that view.

2. Section 2 (c) of the Act provides for a complainant making a complaint, inter alia, for an unfair trade practice or a restrictive trade practice adopted by any trader or service provider; a complaint in respect of goods (bought by a complainant) suffering from one or more defects; a complaint of deficiency in services hired or availed of by a complainant and so on. A complainant is defined in Section 2 (b) of the Act in the following words :-

(b) "complainant" means -

(i) a consumer; or

(ii) any voluntary consumer association registered under the Companies Act,1956 (1 of 1956) or under any other law for the time being in force; or

(iii) the Central Government or any State Government; or

(iv) one or more consumers, where there are numerous consumers having the same interest;

(v) in case of death of a consumer, his le