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BIHAR STATE CONSUMER DISPUTES
REDRESSAL COMMISSION, PATNA
Hon’ble Mr. Justice A.N. Chaturvedi, President &
Mr. V.N. Mishra, Member
BIR BAHADUR BHATT SHARMA—Appellant
versus
M/S. SANTOSH TRADING COMPANY—Respondent
Appeal No. 504 of 1994—Decided on 21.5.1999

Headnote:Consumer Protection Act, 1986 - Section 15-Dismissal of complaint by Distt. Forum on ground that complaint based on same facts was earlier dismissed-Complainant had prayed for exoneration from payment of loan amount due to Bank-Complaint was dismissed as not maintainable and that complainant was absenting-Relief prayed in second complaint was same-Merely that party from whom irrigation motor and pump was Purchased by complainant was added party in second complaint would not make complaint sustainable-Pumpset having been purchased in 1989, complaint filed in 1994 would have been time barred against such person-Impugned order dismissing complaint called for no interference. (Paras 3 to 7)

       Result: Appeal dismissed.

       IMPORTANT POINT

       Complaint based on facts on which earlier complaint was dismissed on merits cannot be maintained.

ORDER

Mr. Justice A.N. Chaturvedi, President—This appeal by the complainant is directed against the order dated 28.11.1994, passed by the District Forum, Bhojpur at Ara in Complaint Case No. 158 of 1994. By the impugned order the District Forum dismissed the complaint of the complainant on the ground that the complaint is based on the same facts on which Complaint Case No. 135 of 1993 filed earlier by the complainant was based and the parties of both the complaint cases were the same. Further ground for dismissal of the complaint is that Complaint Case No. 135/93 had been dismissed earlier and the petition for the restoration of the same had also been dismissed.

2. It appears that the complainant (appellant) had filed Complaint Case No. 135 of 1993 against the Manager, Punjab National Bank, Charpokhari, Prakhand Vikas Padadhikari, Charpokhari and Zila Gramin Vikas Abhikaran, Bhojpur, stating therein that he on 27.1.1989 had taken loan of Rs. 13,300/- from the said bank for the purpose of boring and installation of pump, but the boring went out of order due to the pipes and the pump being old and as a result of that the purpose of irrigation of the fields was not served and under the circumstances he was not in a position to pay back the loan with interest. On the aforesaid allegation the complainant had prayed for exonerating him from payment of the loan. It further appears that the said Complaint Case No. 135 of 1993 was dismissed by the District Forum vide order dated 26.5.1994 on the ground that the complaint was not maintainable before a Consumer Forum and the Complainant was absenting himself from the Forum. It further appears that a petition for restoration of complaint Case No. 135 of 1993 was filed by the complainant which was dismissed by the District Forum vide order dated 8.6.1994 on the ground that the complaint had been dismissed on merit on the ground of non-maintainability thereof before a Consumer Forum. No appeal/revision was preferred by the complainant against the order dated 26.5.1994 whereby Complaint Case No. 135/93 had been dismissed and against the order dated 8.6.1994 whereby the restoration petition had been dismissed by the District Forum and under the circumstances both the orders became final. Thereafter the complainant on 6.7.1994 filed Complaint Case No. 158 of 1994 which was dismissed by the District Forum vide the impugned order dated 28.11.1994 on the grounds as mentioned in para one of this order and hence this appeal.

3. As mentioned earlier, Complaint Case No. 158/94 has been dismissed by the District Forum vide the impugned order on the ground that this Complaint Case (158 of 1994) is based on the same facts on which Complaint Case No. 135 of 1993 was based and the parties in both the cases were the same and Complaint Case No. 135/93 having been dismissed earlier, no order can be passed in this case (Complaint Case No. 158/94). The record of the District Forum with regard to Complaint Case No. 158 of 1994 have been received. Certified copy of the complaint petition of Complaint Case No. 135 of 1993 has been filed by the learned Counsel for the appellant. A perusal of both the complaint petitions shows that complainant is the same in both the cases. It further appears that Manager, Punjab National Bank and Prakhand Vikash Padadhikari, Charpokhari were opposite parties in Complaint Case No. 135/93 and they are opposite parties in Complaint Case No. 158/94 also. So the Bank from which loan had been taken was party in the earlier case and is party in Case No. 158/94 also. In Complaint Case No. 135/93 Zila Gramin Vikas Abhikaran, Bhojpur was opposite party No. 3, but he has not been impleaded as opposite party in Complaint Case No. 158/94. Instead one Ramchandra Gupta has been impleaded as one of the opposite parties in Complaint Case No. 158/94. As regards the parties, this is the only difference. As pointed out earlier, the complainant in Case No. 135/93 had prayed for exonerating him from payme









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