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2020 Supreme(Online)(NCDRC) 1057

NATIONAL CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION
ANUP K THAKUR, PRESIDING MEMBER
RAJIV BAL – Appellant
Versus
HARRISON INDUSTRIES & 3 ORS. – Respondent
REVISION PETITION NO. 1023 OF 2016 | Appeal No. 424/2011



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mr. Naveen Kr. Chaudhary, Adv.
For the Respondents:Mr. Sanjay Jain, Advocate for R – 1 & 2, Nemo for R – 3 & 4

The court emphasized that admitting additional evidence at the appellate stage promotes substantive justice, highlighting the need for flexibility in procedural rules to serve justice effectively.

Headnote:(A) Consumer Protection Act, 1986 - Section 14 - Admission of additional evidence at the appellate stage is permissible if it serves justice. The State Commission remanded the case to the District Forum for consideration of additional evidence relevant to the contract at dispute - The appellate court held that the evidence was critical for just adjudication and that its admission was in line with principles of natural justice. (Paras 3-7)

(B) Jurisdiction of Appellate Authority - Appellate courts may permit additional evidence when substantive justice can be better served by its inclusion. The refusal to allow new evidence based on technical grounds is not just. (Para 4)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner disputed an order allowing the respondents to submit additional evidence regarding the installation of a surface at a film shoot location, which the respondents weren’t aware of at the time of original proceedings.

Findings of Court:
The admitted additional evidence was significant for the just resolution of the dispute, justifying the remand to the District Forum.

Issues: Whether the additional evidence could be permitted at the appellate stage.

Ratio Decidendi: The court upheld the State Commission’s decision, emphasizing that the procedural rules should serve the ends of justice rather than impede them.

Result: Revision Petition dismissed.

Table of Content
1. introduction of revision petition and background. (Para 1)
2. parties are presented with their arguments and scope. (Para 3 , 4)
3. justification for allowing additional evidence and the rationale. (Para 5 , 6 , 7)
Vide this Revision Petition No.1023 of 2016, the petitioner/complainant- Rajiv Bal (complainant hereafter) has challenged the impugned order of the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (State Commission, for short) dated 19.01.2016, the operative portion whereof, reads as below:

In view of above discussions, application for additional evidence is allowed. The case is remand back to the District Forum for considering the same afresh after allowing the OP1 to lead additional evidence on principles analogical to order 41 rule 23A CPC. It was held in (1987) I Orissa LR 442 that when no prayer is made under order 42 rule 27 CPC to consider additional evidence, the court would not exercise its power of remand back under Order 41 rule 23A moved and allowed, the court can exercise its power of remand under Order 41 rule 23A. This is what is being exactly done in the present case. Further it was held in AIR 2003 SC 3167 that when court has not dealt and not rendered any decision on the question of subsequent grant in favour of plaintiff/purchaser from Inamdar, issue of the fact and identity of land under the two grants is vital to the just decision of the case and therefore appeal court is empowered to remand whole suit for retrial. As abundant precautions it may be mentioned that in case the OP1 moves an application for amendment of Written Statement it will open to the District Forum to consider the same on the merits. Parties are directed to appear before District Forum on 15.02.2016.”

In challenge thereto, the petitioner has made the following prayer before the National Commission:

“(a) Set aside the order dated January 19, 2016, passed by State Commission;

(b)Uphold order dated July 14, 2011 passed by District Forum-VII, Sheikh Sarai, New Delhi in Complaint Case No. 349/09 titled as “Mr. Rajiv Bal V/s Harrison Industries and Others”;

(c) Grant interest @18% per annum to the Petitioner on the amount awarded in favour of the Petitioner by the District Forum in terms of Order dated July 14, 2011, from the date of making the payment to the respondents till its realization;

(d) Call for the records of the Appeal i.e. First Appeal No. 424 of 2011 titled as “Harrison Industries and Another V/s Rajiv Bal and Others” decided by the State Commission by an Order dated January 19, 2016 and records of complaint case No. 349/09 titled as “Mr. Rajiv Bal Versus Harrison Industries and Others” pending adjudication before District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-VII, Sheikh Sarai, New Delhi and is next listed on April 11, 2016;

(e) Grant Costs of the Petition; and

(f) pass such further order/orders as this Hon’ble Commission may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case.”

3. Learned counsels for the parties were heard at some length on 23.10.2019. Each made out an elaborate case on behalf of their parties and argued as if the entire consumer complaint was to be decided by the Commission after hearing arguments on this RP. This was clearly not so as the RP, notwithstanding the elaborate prayer for relief made in it, is really quite limited in it’s scope. This RP basically challenges the impugned order of the State Commission which, finding merit in an application of respondent 1 & 2 herein/ appellant 1 & 2/ OP1 & 2 (hereafter OP 1 & 2) for permission to file additional evidence, had allowed the same, after hearing the parties, and remanded the matter to the District Forum, and directed the parties to appear before it on 15.02.2016. Instead of appearing before the District Forum on 15.02.2016, the complainant has chosen to file this RP, challenging the aforementioned order of the State Commission.

4. The only issue to be decided in this RP therefore is whether or not to permit OP 1 & 2 to fil

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