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

2025 Supreme(Online)(SCDRC) 39636

STATE CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION
Devendra Kachhwaha, President, Arun Kumar Agrawal, Judicial Member, Liyakat Ali, Member
Maruti Suzuki India Limited – Appellant
Versus
Murlidhar Joshi – Respondent
Appeal No. 82/2022



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Anil Sharma
For the Respondents: Harish Joshi, Anish Ahmed

A manufacturer claiming exclusion from warranty coverage due to consumer negligence in vehicle operation must provide expert technical evidence. In the absence of such evidence, the manufacturer is liable for defects occurring within the established warranty period.

Headnote:(A) Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and 2019 - Defect in goods - Warranty obligations - Burden of proof. A manufacturer or service provider seeking to avoid warranty liability based on alleged misuse (e.g., driving through water) must provide expert evidence or reports to substantiate such claims. Mere assertions without technical documentation or expert affidavits are insufficient to discharge the burden of proof. (Paras 14, 17)

(B) Consumer Protection - Service of notice - Satisfaction note - Signature on a satisfaction note following vehicle repair service does not necessarily imply conclusive acceptance of the repair's adequacy, especially where the defect's nature requires operation of the vehicle to be verified. (Para 15)

Facts of the case:
The complainant purchased a vehicle which experienced a sudden engine seizure while in operation. The manufacturer and service center denied warranty coverage, alleging the vehicle had been driven through water. The district commission held the manufacturer liable for manufacturing defects, prompting an appeal by the manufacturer.

Findings of Court:
The court found that the appellants failed to provide any technical report or expert testimony to prove the engine failure was caused by water ingress. Furthermore, the reliance on a signed satisfaction note by the consumer was deemed insufficient, as the consumer could not verify the success of the repair until the vehicle was put back into operation. The court upheld the district commission's order.

Issues: Whether the manufacturer successfully proved the defense of misuse (driving through water) to exclude warranty liability, and whether the signed satisfaction note precluded the consumer from claiming deficiency in service.

Ratio Decidendi: Where a manufacturer asserts that a defect is excluded from warranty coverage due to user negligence, the burden strictly lies on the manufacturer to adduce expert evidence. In the absence of such evidence, the presumption of a manufacturing defect within the warranty period holds valid.

Result: Appeal dismissed; lower court order affirmed.

fu.kZ;

}kjk % ekuuh; U;k;kf/kifr Jh nsosUnz dPNkokgk] v/;{k

1- vihykFkhZ ek:fr lqtqdh bf.M;k fyfeVsM dh vksj ls ;g vihy v/khuLFk ftyk miHkksDrk fookn izfrrks"k vk;ksx] tSlyesj …ftls fu.kZ; esa vkxs ftyk vk;ksx ds uke ls lacksf/kr fd;k tk,xk‰ }kjk ewy ifjokn la[;k 31@2020 Þeqjyh/kj tks’kh cuke ek:fr lqtqdh bf.M;k fyfeVsM o vU;Þ esa ikfjr fu.kZ; fnukad 10-11-2021 ls O;fFkr gksdj izLrqr dh x;h gSA

2- fopkjk/khu ekeys esa izR;FkhZ l[a ;k ,d@ifjoknh us ifjokn izLrqr dj izdV fd;k fd] ifjoknh us ekpZ 2017 esa bfXul …flXek ekWMy‰ dh 11000@&:i;s tek djkdj ,y,ets usD’kk] pkSikluh tks/kiqj ls cqfdax djok;h A dqN le; i’pkr ifjoknh ds iq= dks ekywe gqvk fd ihNs dh lhV esa lek;ksT; gsMjsLV ugha gS vkSj ifjoknh ds ifjokj esa lnL;ksa dh yackbZ T;knk gksus ls vlqfo/kk gksus ij cqfdax vf/kdkjh ls lykg dj ifjoknh us fnukad 06-05-2017 dks bfXul MsYVk cqd djok;h ftldh dher 6 yk[k :i;s ¯ij tk jgh Fkh A cqfdax ’krksZa ds vuqlkj ge cqfdax dHkh Hkh dsfUly djok ldrs gSa A ifjoknh ds iq= dks ek:fr lqtqdh usD’kk dh cysuks dkj ilan Fkh bl ij varr% ifjoknh us fnukad 25-05-2017 dks cysuks MsYVk dh cqfdax djok;h] ftldh dqy dher 7 yk[k :i;s ds djhc Fkh tks ifjoknh ds ctV ls 1- 5 yk[k :i;s T;knk Fkh ijUrq ;g larqf"V Fkh fd cysuks MYs Vk ekWMy lqj{kk ds fygkt ls vksj Hkh csgrj Fkh A djhc rhu eghus ds yEcs bartkj ds ckn fnukad 27-08-2017 dks xkM+h dh fMyhojh feyh] ftlds jftLV“s’ku uacj vkjts 15 lh, 2658 gS A fnukad 24-08-2018 dks tc ifjoknh dk Hkrhtk o Hkkatk esgeku dks ysus ckjgoha jksM+ fLFkr gksVy tk jgs Fks rc tytksx pkSjkgs ij pyrh dkj ,dne ls lht gks x;h] ml le; ihNs ls ,d ,Ecqysal rst xfr ls vk jgh Fkh] ,Ecqysal pkyd us ,u oDr ij ,Ecqysal ?kqek yh vkSj ,d Hkh"k.k gknlk gksrs gksrs cp x;k A ifjoknh ds iq= }kjk Qksu djus ij lfoZl lsaVj ij xkM+h ykus dk dgk x;k A xkM+h dk vkW;y yhd dj jgk Fkk ,oa fHkUu izdkj ds /kkrq ds VqdM+s xkM+h ds uhps fxjs iM+s Fks A d‘".kk vkWVks lYs l ds ;gka xkM+h Øsu ls ysdj lqiqnZ dh ,oa okj.Vh ihfj;M o ba’;ksjsal ds ckjs esa voxr djok fn;k x;kA fnukad 25-08-2018 dks dkj dk fujh{k.k djus ij Kkr gqvk fd dkj dk batu QV x;k gS] ngu psEcj] fiLVu vkSj lca af/kr Hkkx ijw h rjg u"V gks pqds Fks rc ifjoknh ds iq= us bl ekeys ds ckjs esa daiuh dks lfw pr fd;kA vizkFkhZx.k us crk;k fd xkM+h ds batu esa ikuh tkus ls ,slh ?kVuk gqbZ Fkh blfy, okj.Vh dk dksbZ ykHk ugha feysxk A fnukad 22-09-2018 dks xkM+h dh fMyhojh ysus tkus ij ns[kk fd xkM+h ij MsaV Fkk] tks igys ugha Fkk A ifjoknh ds ikl xkM+h odZ’kkWi ykus ds le; ds QksVks o fofM;kst gS] ftlesa MasV dgha utj ugha vk jgk Fkk A xkM+h pykus ij batu dh vkokt vyx vk jgh Fkh] can xkM+h ls Hkh vkokt vkrh gS A pwfa d ifjoknh us dbZ ckj fofHkUu xkM+h o ekWMYl dh cqfdax ,y,ets usD’kk ls djok;h ,oa dbZ ckj jn~n djok;h] blh ckr ls ukjkt gksdj ifjoknh dks tkucw>dj ,ls h fMQsfDVo xkM+h csph x;h A vizkFkhZx.k ds mDr d‘R; dks los k esa =qfV crkrs gq, ifjoknh dk ifjokn Lohdkj dj ifjokn esa of.kZr vuqrks"k fnyk;s tkus dh izkFkZuk dh A

3- vihykFkhZ@vikz FkhZ l[a ;k ,d dh vksj ls ifjokn dk tokc is’k dj dFku fd;k x;k fd] f’kdk;rdrkZ l s /kedh fn;s tkus ds vkjksiksa ds lEcU/k esa lcwr ekaxs tkos ,oa foi{kh us okjaVh vkSj dkuwu ds rgr vius nkf;Roksa dk fof/kor fuoZgu fd;k gS lkFk gh foi{kh us okjaVh nkf;Roks a ls vkxs c+dj izkFkhZ dk s ;FkklHa ko lgk;rk iznku djus ds fy, ejEer ij NwV Hkh nh gSA izkFkhZ us vius vkjksiksa dks lkfcr djus ds fy, ,d h lcwr is’k ugha fd;k gS] tks xqejkg djus ds ;ksX; gSA mudk ;g Hkh dFku jgk fd mDr ftyk miHkksDRkk vk;ksx ds {ks=kf/kdkj esa dksbZ dkjokbZ dk dkj.k mRiUu ugha gqvk gS vkSj tks Hkh leL;k Fkh mudk fof/kor lek/kku dj fn;k x;k vkSj os fu"Qy gSA vizkFkhZ dh vksj ls fdlh Hkh rjg dh pwd] ykijokgh ;k los kvks a esa deh ;k vuqfpr O;kikj izFkk ugha gSA leL;kvksa dk fof/kor lek/kku fd;k x;k gS vkSj fcuk fdlh fpark ds izkFkhZ okgu dk mi;ksx dj jgk gSA mudk ;g Hkh dFku jgk fd ;fn okgu esa dksbZ leL;k gksrh rks izkFkhZ brus de le; esa bruh vf/kd nwjh r; ugha dj ikrk vkSj izkFkhZ }kjk yxk;s x;s vkjksi vuqekuksa vkSj vVdyksa ij vk/kkfjr gS] tks fdlh Hkh izek.k ls iq"V ugha fd;s x;s

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
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top