Asserting its power to enforce its own orders, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has made an education consultant obey its verdict by ordering his arrest.
The Bench, comprising president Justice R. Regupathi and member J. Jayaram, issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for the consultant’s arrest following a complaint from a student who was aggrieved that the man had not complied with the Commission’s order directing refund and payment of compensation in a consumer dispute.
Acting on the NBW, the city police arrested Benedict, managing director of Nission Educational Consultants, Nungambakkam, and produced him before the Commission last Friday.
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On being produced, the consultant paid the entire award amount of Rs. 5.16 lakh in cash to the complainant. The complainant too made an endorsement to that effect. Recording the complainant’s full satisfaction, the Bench said, “In view of the reason that the matter was settled, the debtor is set at liberty forthwith.”
Originally, N.Sangeetha of Perambur filed a consumer complaint in 2009 seeking refund of the amount paid to the consultant for admission to a medical course in Russia. She had joined a medical course in Rostov Medical University through the consultant in 2007-2008.
She also paid Rs. 3 lakh towards tuition fees. She found that she was admitted in the Russian medium course instead of English medium as promised. The hostel was situated far away from the college and was without any security. Unable to bear the mental agony due to deficiency in service, she said she had to return to India within six days.
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Holding that she was lured by false promises, the Bench had, in 2011, ordered the consultant to refund Rs. 2.16 lakh along with Rs. 3 lakh as compensation to Ms. Sangeetha. Without implementing the order of the SCDRC, the consultant filed an appeal before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) after a 382-day delay. But the Supreme Court dismissed his petition last January and asked him to comply the SCDRC order within a month.
Following an execution application by Ms. Sangeetha in April last, the SCDRC issued NBW for his arrest.