Mr. Justice K.D. Shahi, Chairman—Heard. Complainant deposited stamp duty for registration of sale deed. Stamp duty was found deficient. He deposited duty penalty but still after registration of sale deed, the original sale deed has not been returned and the Bank is not granting loan to him on the duplicate issued by the Registration Department. The learned Forum held that it is not a consumer dispute. We are also of the view that this is not a consumer dispute. We are supported by the ruling reported in 1995 (3) CPR 684 (SC), S.P. Goel v. Collector of Stamps, in which :

“The Supreme Court has specifically considered the scope, object and purpose of the Registration Act, 1908 and the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 vis-a-vis the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Court held that the Registration Act as also the Stamp Act are meant primarily to augment the State Revenue by prescribing the stamp duty on various categories of instruments or documents and the procedure for collection of stamp duty through distress or other means including criminal prosecution as non-payment of stamp duty has been constituted as an offence. Payment of registration fee or registration charges including charges