THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Complaints over non-delivery of orders and even a suicide threat by an aggrieved consumer forced the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) to order a probe against the president of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
SCDRC president Justice B Sudheendra Kumar assigned its member K R Radhakrishnan to conduct the probe. He has been asked to examine orders delivered by the bench chaired by the district forum president P V Jayarajan since 2022. If the allegations are found true, the SCDRC president will recommend to the state government and the national commission to take administrative action against the president, it is learnt.
The complainants alleged inordinate delay on the part of the president in delivering copies. Some are yet to receive a copy though the order was pronounced in the open court years ago. A man who secured a favourable order against the HDFC Bank in 2023 made the suicide threat before the SCDRC a few days ago. Following a strict direction from Sudheendra Kumar, the man was issued a copy on Monday.
The Consumer Protection Act empowers the president of the state commission to receive complaints against the president or members of a district commission, conduct inquiry, and if required, recommend to the state government and national commission to take suitable administrative action.
This is the first time in the state that the SCDRC is conducting a probe against the district commission president. The state commission views the non-delivery of the order is in fact a denial of relief to the consumer.It is learnt that the district president failed to adhere to the oral directions by the state commission to expedite proceedings.