Mr. Justice S.S. Sandhawalia, President—Whether a person, other than the original consumer who hires any services, can maintain a complaint for the alleged deficiency therein under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986? If so, then has the approval of the original consumer to be given expressly in writing alone? This is the somewhat significant twin question, which arise at the threshold in this case.

2. Dr. B.S. Sidhu, the complainant, is the proprietor of the Daily Hak Parast, a Hindi newspaper of some standing, published from Kaithal in District Kurukshetra. It is his case that he had availed the facility of receiving fresh news through the United News of India (hereinafter referred to as the ‘UNI’), and for the said purpose had installed a Teleprinter Machine on due payment through them. According to the relevant agreement thereof with the Indian Post and Telegraph Department, it was the latter’s duty to keep the teleprinter circuit and its line in running order from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.

3. The genesis of the trouble is alleged to have originated on 20th July, 1989 when a prominent news item in the Daily Hak Parast was published, highlighting, a procession taken out by the telegr