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IN THE TAMIL NADU STATE CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION, CHENNAI Present : Hon’ble Thiru. Justice R. SUBBIAH….. PRESIDENT F.A. No. 382 of 2022 (arising out of the Order dated 12.07.2022 passed in Consumer Complaint No. 9 of 2020 on the file of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Nagapattinam)

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Order pronounced on : 30.05.2025 Indian Overseas Bank Sikkal Branch Represented by its Branch Manager East Street, Sikkal Nagapattinam .. Appellant/Opposite Party No.2 Versus

1. Vivek Son of Mr. Ravichandran No.4/107/1, East Street Sikkal Village Nagapattinam Taluk

2. Mrs. Selvi Wife of Mr. Ravichandran No.4/107/1, East Street Sikkal Village Nagapattinam Taluk .. Respondents 1&2/Complainants

3. Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Sikkal Represented by its Junior Engineer North Street Sikkal, Nagapattinam .. Respondent No.3/Opp.Party No.1 For Appellant : Mrs. V. Rajeswari For Respondents : Mr. Vandhiyathevan for R1 and R2 Mr. K. Kamalakannan for R3 This appeal came up for final hearing on 30.10.2024 and upon hearing the arguments of the learned counsel for the Appellant, learned counsel for the respondents 1 and 2 as well as the learned counsel for the third respondent and on perusing the material records, this Commission made the following

ORDER

The appellant has filed this appeal questioning the correctness and/or validity of the order dated 12.07.2022 passed in Consumer Complaint No. 9 of 2020 on the file of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Nagapattinam.

2. The appellant herein is the Opposite Party No.2 in the Consumer Complaint No. 9 of 2020. The respondents 1 and 2 are the Complainants 1 and 2. The third Respondent is the Opposite Party No.1 in the aforesaid Consumer Complaint. For the sake of convenience, the parties will be referred to as per the rankings before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Nagapattinam.

3. The respondents 1 and 2 have filed the aforesaid Consumer Complaint No. 9 of 2020, for the following relief:-

It is therefore most respectfully prayed that this Honourable Forum may be pleased to pass an order in favour of the complainants and against the Opposite parties directing the first and second Opposite parties to jointly and severally to

1) pay the Complainants a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- along with interest till the date of realization of the amount as compensation

2) Directing the first Opposite Party to repay the penalty and reconnection charges collected from the complainants;

3) Pay the complainants the cost of the complaint.

4. As per the averments made in the Consumer Complaint, the second complainant is the mother of the first complainant and they are permanent residents of No.4/107/1, East Street, Sikkal Village. It was stated that the complainants are consumers of electricity service provided by the first Opposite Party/Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and the actual consumption of electricity charges has been paid by the complainants bi- monthly to the first Opposite Party from time to time. According to the complainants, such consumption charges payable to the First Opposite Party has been paid online, through the savings bank account Number 023801000013019 maintained in the name of the first complainant’s father, with the Appellant/Second Opposite Party. It was stated that on 02.04.2019, the electricity consumption charge of Rs.380/- for the ground floor and Rs.125/- for the first floor together with the service charge of Rs.35/- + Rs.35/- totaling Rs.70/- has been paid online to the first Opposite Party through the savings bank maintained with the appellant/ second Opposite Party. Inspite of such payment, on 22.04.2019, the staff of the first Opposite Party came to the residence of the complainants and informed them that the electricity charges had not been paid by them and thereby made an attempt to disconnect their electricity service connection. Even though the complainants explained to them that the consumption charges have been paid, they informed the complainant