Mr. Abdul Perwad, Member—This complaint is filed under Section 12 r/w Section 17 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (for short ‘the Act’) by M/s. Mikrotec Dies, a Bangalore based Private Ltd. Company, against the Post Master General, alleging deficiency of service in not reaching a consignment of Dies to a foreign buyer by speed post.

2. The complainant is stated to be a pioneer in the manufacture of Wire Drawing Dies which comes in steel casings. It is stated that a diamond is held in the steel casing in such a manner that the die is effectively used for drawing wires. This is said to be a precision device which is marketed by the complainant in foreign countries like Germany, Dubai, Hongkong, Singapore, etc.

3. It is the case of the complainant that he has been availing the services of the opposite party for over 6 years for consigning the product through speed post to the foreign buyers. One such consignment containing 44 number of dies valued at 17,789 DM (whose value in terms of Indian currency worked out to Rs. 3,20,364/- on the date of despatch), was sent to a party, M/s. Paul Schaaf and Co., Post Box No. 48, 35754, Mittenaar, Bicken, Germany, on 3.1.1994. It is stated