UK Homes MD gets 2-yr jail

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 22

The UT District Consumer Court has awarded two-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 to Amarjit Singh, managing director (MD) of UK Homes Pvt Ltd, for not obeying an order of the state commission.

The complainant, Smriti Kalia, had booked a residential unit in Mohali. However, despite paying the amount through three cheques in April 2013, she was not given the possession. When she asked for a refund, UK Homes refused.

On August 29, 2014, the consumer court  directed the opposite party to refund Rs 70,000, along with 12 per cent interest per annum, from the amount paid. Besides, a total of Rs 17,000 as compensation for harassment and the litigation fee was also ordered to be paid to her. The complainant approached the state commission for enhancement of the relief  amount. Modifying the order, the commission, in January last year, asked the firm  to also pay interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum on the amount of Rs 2.30 lakh from the respective date of deposit till August 24, 2013.

However, the opposite did not comply with the order following which Smriti filed an execution petition in August last year. Based on this plea, the managing director (MD) was convicted.

“...(it) clearly establishes the brazen defiance of the order of this forum. The application of coercive methods to procure the presence of the opposite party did not help as these were returned unexecuted. It clearly indicates that the party is wilfully evading the compliance of the (previous) order,” said the court in its judgment pronounced by president Rajan Dewan and members Jaswinder Singh Sidhu and Priti Malhotra.