SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Article Pause Article
judgment-img

KARNATAKA STATE CONSUMER DISPUTES
REDRESSAL COMMISSION, BANGALORE
Hon’ble Mr. Justice D.R. Vithal Rao, President;
Sh. K.R. Ramaswamy Iyengar, Member;
Smt. Susheela Cheluvaraju, Member
DR. MOHANARAO MARUTHIRAO CHARGE—Complainant
versus
M/S. SIPANI AUTOMOBILES LTD.—Respondent
Complaint No. 173 of 1991—Decided on 4.2.1992

Headnote:Consumer Protection Act, 1986 - Section 2 - Complainant seeking the refund of the price of the vehicle paid by him to the respondent Respondent did give an advertisement stating that the engine manufactured by M/s. V.S.T. Tillers & Tractors with joint collaboration of Mitsubishi, Japan will be fitted to the Montana diesel car - However, the car that was supplied to the complainant was not fitted with Mitsubishi engine - The complainant on seeing the advertisement was induced to purchase the said car - The respondent had adopted Unfair Trade Practice by supplying such a car in consequence of which the complainant suffered loss - He is entitled for refund of the cost price of the car - As the complainant has so far used the car, he is not entitled to any interest on the said amount of cost price paid by him.

       (Paras 6 & 7)

       Result: Complaint allowed with a cost of Rs.1,000/-.

       IMPORTANT POINT

       The complainant is entitled to the refund of the cost of the vehicle paid by him when there are established facts on record stating that the respondents had adopted Unfair Trade Practice by supplying the vehicle not fitted with the engine as promised, causing loss to the complainant.

ORDER

Mr. Justice D.R. Vithal Rao, President—The learned Counsel for the Respondent and the Respondent are absent. The Respondent has filed his statement of objections. The learned Counsel” for the Complainant and the Complainant are present.

2. The facts, briefly stated, are as follows:

The Complainant purchased a Montana Diesel Car by making payment of a sum of Rs. 1,25,024/- to the Respondent. The Complainant made payment of this amount to the Respondent on 3 occasions, i.e., an amount of Rs. 10,000/- at the time of booking in the month of April 1989; an amount of Rs. 1,06,650/- on 13-8-1990 and further sum of Rs. 8,374/- in the month of September, 1990, as per Annexures D and F. The Complainant took delivery of this vehicle from the Respondent in the month of November 1990. The Complainant purchased this vehicle in pursuance of an advertisement given by the Respondent in the English Daily Newspaper Deccan Herald dated 4-7-1989 and also publication made in some other newspapers and automobile journals to the effect that the engine was manufactured by V.S.T. Tillers and Tractors, Bangalore with joint collaboration of Mitsubishi, Japan and that the said car was tested and approved road-worthy by Vehicle Research and Development Establishment of Government of India, which will facilitate registration of vehicles with the Transport authorities.

3. After the said purchase, the Complainant found that the car was not giving him satisfactory service and started giving all sorts of trouble, i.e.,. Engine oil got thickened, there was no fuel efficiency, the engine got overheated, it began to emit dense smoke and its body was rattling. The Complainant finally found that the car was not fitted with the engine manufactured by the VST Tillers and Tractors, Bangalore with joint collaboration of Mitsubishi, Japan, but the engine fitted to the vehicle was that of ‘Jaya’ engine manufactured at Coimbatore.

4. The Complainant on the basis of these averments sought the refund of the price of the vehicle paid by him to the Respondent, i.e., Rs. 1,25,024/- and costs.

5. As referred above, the Respondent has filed statement of objections. In para 7 of the statement of objections, the Respondent has admitted the fact that the car that was delivered to the Complainant was fitted with ’Jaya’ Engine and not with the engine manufactured by V.S.T. Tillers and Tractors, Bangalore, with joint collaboration of Mitsubishi, Japan. The para 7 of the statement of objections of the Respondent reads as under:

“No doubt, the Respondent Company had an agreement with M/s. VST Tillers & Tractors for supply of engine to be fitted in the Montana diesel car, however, the agreement between the Respondent and M/s. VST Tillers and Tractors was terminated and the Respondent Company had to look out for a suitable alternative and after several tests found that Jaya diesel engine was suitable and the same was economical and more fuel efficient and therefore, the Respondent Company decided to use Jaya diesel engine in Montana diesel car.”

ORDER

6. The facts and the circumstances averred by the Complainant are substantiated by the averments made in the statement of objections by the Respondent. Therefore, it is clear that the Respondent did give an advertisement which was published in the Deccan Herald and other magazines slating that the engine manufactured by M/s. V.S.T. Tillers and Tractors, Bangalore, with joint Collaboration of Mitsubishi, Japan will be fitted to the Montana diesel car. It is also substantiated by the Complainant that the car that was supplied by the Respondent to the Complainant was not fitted with Mitsubishi engine as stated in the advertisement. The averments in the complaint show that the Complainant on seeing the advertisement in the said papers was induced to purchase the said car. Under the circumstances, we are of the view that the Respondent had adopted “Unfair Trade Practice” by supplying the car which was not fitted with Mitsubishi Engine but was fitted





Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
whatsapp-icon Back to top