Connect, Mohali-based firm penalised
Amarjot Kaur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 6
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I has directed Mohali-based Quadrant Televentures Limited (formally known as HFCL Infotel Limited) and Connect Regional Office, Sector 35-C, Chandigarh, to pay Rs 7,000 as compensation for mental agony and harassment and Rs 5,000 as litigation expenses to city resident Sanjeev Kodan.
In a judgement pronounced by District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I president Rattan Singh Thakur and members Surjeet Kaur and SK Sardana, the opposite parties have been asked to disconnect the broadband connection and stop sending any further bills to Kodan.
On March 17, 2017, Kodan, who had taken a Connect broadband connection from its regional office, had requested for the disconnection of service and had submitted its charger and modem too. Before surrendering the connection, he had paid his last bill on March 16, 2017. Notwithstanding this, the connection was never disconnected and the opposite parties kept on sending him monthly bills. Alleging that the acts amount to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, he had filed a consumer complaint.
A legal notice of the complaint was sent to the opposite parties, seeking their version.
Meanwhile, Mohali-based Quadrant Televentures Limited filed its reply and pleaded that Kodan never sent any application for the disconnection of the broadband connection and that he was under obligation to make the payment of periodic bills raised from time to time. It further pleaded that according to the account statement, an amount of Rs 7,016 is still due and payable by Kodan.
Pleading that there is no deficiency in service or unfair trade practice on its part, Quadrant Televentures Limited has prayed for the dismissal of the complaint.
Significantly, no one from the Connect Regional Office appeared to contest Kodan’s claim and preferred to proceed against ex-parte.
“Non-appearance of Connect shows that it has nothing to say in its defence against the allegations made by the complainant. Therefore, the assertions of the complainant go unrebutted and uncontroverted,” reads the order.
As per material on record, it was evident that Kodan cleared the last bill and made a request for the disconnection of the aforesaid number. Thereafter, on March 20, 2017, he again submitted a request for the disconnection, in writing, but it was refused by Connect.
