Consumer Forum warns punitive action for non-compliance

Taking a serious view of the non compliance of its earlier order, the Thane District Consumer Redressal Forum (TDCRF) invoked its judicial powers, and imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 each on two builders here failing which they will have to undergo 3 months imprisonment.
The Forum which took the role of a First Class Judicial Magistrate ordered on Tuesday, that the penalty be paid within flat three days else the duo will be imprisoned.
The court headed by Umesh Jhavalikar and member N D Kadam, ruled that the defendants in this case have committed an offence under section 27 of the Consumer Protection Act.

The case relates to a property dispute between -- Smita Chandresh Sawla and Vibha Nilesh Shah (residents of Borivili) -- and builder-developers Kuldeep Oswal and Gyanchand K Sancheti from Bhayander.
The District Forum had in 2007 passed an order in the property dispute case, asking the respondents together to pay a compensation of Rs 2,000 towards legal expenses.
It had also ordered that the respondents should collect the pending Rs 6 lakh from the complainants for the flats in Oswal Empire building here and get it registered, and also give the completion certificate of M-2 building to the complainants.
The Forum then ordered that the respondents should individually make a payment of Rs 10,000 to complainants within two months of the order or else an additional sum of Rs 20,000 will be payable with interest at 9 percent.

As the respondents failed to comply with the orders of the Forum and evaded responding to the follow up by the complainants, they filed the present criminal complaint following which the court now decided to fine them with Rs 10,000 individually.