Del HC | Where NCDRC doesn’t pronounce orders within 6 months of being reserved, and application is filed, same is to be listed before President (NCDRC) within 2 days without fail

Delhi High Court: Prathiba M. Singh, J., directed that the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to pronounce judgment in a case pending for 15 years, within two weeks of the date it is listed.

In the present matter, petitioners concern was the non-pronouncement of orders/judgment by the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC).

Petitioner had filed a complaint before the NCDRC alleging negligence by the doctors and hospital – Kanpur Medical Centre Private Ltd., due to which severe burns were caused to her as a newly born infant. Complaint was filed before the NCDRC I April, 2006 and the said complaint has been pending for more than 15 years.

Petitioners Counsel, Raghavendra M. Bajaj, submitted that repeated enquiries were made with NCDRC, but to no avail. Further, an application was moved by the petitioner by seeking re-hearing and pronouncement of judgment, despite which, matter was not listed before any Bench.

Adding to the above, Counsel submitted that he has received intimation that the application is now listed on 23-02-2021.

Supreme Court in the decisions of Anil Rai v. State of Bihar, (2001) 7 SCC 318 and Balaji Baliram Mupade v. State of Maharashtra, 2020 SCC OnLine SC 893 emphasised the importance of timely pronouncement of judgments and orders once submissions are heard.

Recently, in Supreme Court decision of JVNL v. CCM HIM JV [Civil Appeal No. 494 of 2021, decided on 12-02-2021] has reiterated its pronouncement in Anil Rai v. State of Bihar, (2001) 7 SCC 318 while clarifying that the same would not apply to High Courts.

Bench stated that the above pronouncements would apply to Subordinate Courts and tribunals equally.

 The Supreme Court decision in Sudipta Chakrobarty v. Ranaghat S.D. Hospital, 2021 SCC OnLine SC 107, dealt with cases where the NCDRC pronounced operative portions of orders with reasons to follow.

The entire purpose of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, is supposed to provide speedy justice to complainants, which stands completely defeated in a case of the present nature where the matter has taken more than 15 years to be adjudicated and the same has not reached a conclusion yet.

Following directions have been issued to NCDRC:

1. Whenever judgments are reserved, they ought to be pronounced in accordance with the timelines prescribed in Anil Rai v. State of Bihar, (2001) 7 SCC 318
2. If orders are not pronounced within six months of being reserved and an application is filed by either party, the same ought to be listed before the President, NCDRC by the Registry of the NCDRC within two days, without fail. The NCDRC may issue a practice direction to this effect so that the same is complied with by the Staff of the Registry;

Hence, Court directed NCDRC to pronounce the judgment within two weeks of the date it has been listed. [Sandhya Srivastava v. Dr Neelam Mishra, 2021 SCC OnLine Del 892, decided on 18-02-2021]

Advocates who appeared for the matter:

For the Petitioner: Raghavendra M. Bajaj, Garima Bajaj, Agnish Aditya & Nikhil Bamal, Advocates

For the Respondents: Ajay Saroya, Advocate for R-3.