Consumer Protection | Right To File Written Statement Couldn't Be Foreclosed If Complaint's Copy Wasn't Supplied To Opposite Party : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India ruled that the right to file a written statement in a consumer complaint cannot be foreclosed if the copy of the complaint was not supplied to the opposite party. In this case, the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC) had denied the appellant the right to file a written statement due to the expiry of the statutory time limit. The appellant argued that they were not provided with a copy of the complaint, making it impossible to file a written statement. The Supreme Court accepted this contention, noting that the NCDRC’s order did not record the supply of the complaint’s copy to the appellant. The court emphasized that it would be too harsh to foreclose the right to file a written statement based on conjectures and surmises. The decision underscores the importance of procedural fairness and the necessity of providing all relevant documents to the parties involved in a legal dispute.