A city District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has held that the act of an engineering college in not refunding the caution deposit amounts to deficiency in service.
A Bench of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum – Chennai (South) consisting of V.Gopal, President and Y.Malliga and L.Deenadayalan, Members, passed an order to this effect on a complaint by S.Devi of Devikapuram in Tiruvannamalai district.
The complainant said she completed B.E. (ECE) in Meenakshi College of Engineering, West K.K.Nagar. She completed the course in 2006. She sent letters and reminders to the college in 2007 and 2008 seeking return of the caution deposit. But there was no response. The college contended inter alia that the caution deposit was refundable.
But, for claiming the refund, the complainant should produce the certificate from the head of the department and the hostel warden to the effect that no amount was recoverable from the complainant. But, she did not produce such certificate.
In the order, the Forum Bench said the college was willing to refund the caution deposit, totalling Rs.7,000 on the complainant providing an affidavit in a Rs.20 stamp paper.
The Forum directed the college to refund the caution deposit of Rs.7000 on receipt of the affidavit within six weeks.
It also directed the institution to pay Rs.10,000 as compensation for mental agony and Rs.5,000 as costs to the complainant within six weeks.
