HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II, Hyderabad has directed the head postmaster, Indian Post Office, New Delhi and GPO, Abids to jointly pay Rs 1.21 lakh, including Rs 20,000 compensation, to the complainant for misplacing the items to be delivered.
According to the complainant, Supriya Grover, a resident of Basheerbagh, instead of delivering the items (suits) worth Rs 1,01,325 to the addressee, the post office delivered shabby old clothes and blankets in March 2023. Following up on the delivery in the same month, Grover raised the issue with the Union government’s Directorate of Public Grievances.
However, the officials, in May 2023, responded that the Hyderabad GPO, Abids had conducted an enquiry and no foul play had been observed. In its reply, the Abids post office confirmed that the parcel brought by the complainant was delivered and kept in the DPM chamber. However, it was unable to give any proper reply regarding the whereabouts of Grover’s items.
The complainant further contended that the weight of the consignment was 19 kg at the time of booking and the weight of the same was 9 kg at the time of delivery. The same fact was neither denied nor disproved by the opposite parties.
The consumer court noted that the onus lies on the opposite parties to establish the facts in the matter, particularly that the booked item was delivered to the addressee. But they failed to do so and simply denied the allegations of the complaint without furnishing or adducing any substantial, subsisting documentary evidence.
Noting deficiency in service on the part of two opposite parties, the court ordered them to comply with the order within 45 days from September 3. The amount of Rs 1.01 lakh, cost of goods that Grover purchased, has to be paid with 12 pa interest from March till the order date.