THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cricketer Virat Kohli has been given a chance to contest a complaint filed against him before the Kannur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
Acting on the cricketer’s complaint, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission cancelled the district panel’s decision to proceed with the case declaring Kohli ex parte.
The complaint before the district commission was filed by Rajeevan G, a resident of Kannur, over a problem with a pair of spectacles he bought. The opposite parties were Karunya Eye Care, retailer We Care Agency, and Essilor India and its brand ambassador Kohli.
When there was no reply to its notice to Kohli, the district commission had on April 1, 2025 declared it as deemed service (rule that treats a document as officially delivered) and set him ex parte the same day.
But this was before the statutory 45 days, from the date of declaring deemed service, getting lapsed. Later, an application filed by Kohli raising the question of maintainability of the case against him was also dismissed without considering the contentions.
Kohli’s petition was considered by an SCDRC bench comprising its president Justice B Sudheendra Kumar, judicial member Ajith Kumar D and member K R Radhakrishnan. It found that the district panel wrongly declared Kohli ex parte before the expiry of the legal deadline to respond. It also cancelled the separate order that rejected his request to first decide on the maintainability question.
The district commission has now been told to take up the complaint again and let Kohli file his reply. The state commission also directed it to take a quick decision on maintainability. Kohli was represented by advocate Narayan R.