KOCHI: The Ernakulam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed a sports equipment supplier to pay a compensation of Rs 25.9 lakh for cheating a person who operates a football academy and artificial football turf at Chottanikkara.
The case was that the sports equipment supplier cheated the complainant by laying a substandard turf at his football academy. Santhosh M S, of Chottanikkara, who operates the Legends Academy, a football academy and ground in Chottanikkara, approached the commission seeking compensation for the fraudulent act committed by ‘Sports Terrain’, Kochi. The academy, the sole income source of the complainant, is functioning on rented premises. In 2019, the complainant was persuaded by the supplier to install a FIFA-standard artificial turf. It was agreed that Limonta brand turf would be laid.
The complainant paid Rs 25,04,700 to the company for laying the turf. The money was sourced by the complainant by mortgaging his house. However, the turf laid by the company deteriorated quickly, causing injury and difficulty to the children at the academy. The firm continued to give repeated assurances to rectify the damage and finally they laid another turf but that was also an inferior one. This resulted in further distress to the complainant and damaged his reputation.
The complainant approached the commission seeking replacement of the turf with the promised Limonta brand and a sum of Rs 30,44,757 as compensation, additional interest, ground rent, and damages for the mental suffering as well as the cost of litigation. Though the commission sent a notice to the firm, it did not respond.
The supplier’s failure to deliver the promised product and service, and the failure to respond to the legal notices, amount to blatant disregard for consumer rights and is indicative of negligence and unfair trade practice, the commission observed. The commission, comprising president D B Binu, members V Ramachandran, and Sreevidhia T N directed to refund Rs 25,04,700 to the complainant, which is the amount paid for the installation of the turf on the football ground, and pay Rs 75,000 as compensation for the mental agony, inconvenience, physical hardships and deficiency in service. It was also asked to pay Rs 10,000 towards the cost of proceedings.
E75K FOR MENTAL AGONY
Rs 25,04,700 will be refunded, which is the amount paid for the installation of the turf, and
Rs 75,000 will be paid as compensation for the mental agony, physical hardships and deficiency in service. The firm was also asked to pay Rs 10,000 towards the cost of proceedings