राज्य उपभोक्ता विवाद प्रतितोष आयोग, उ0प्र0, लखनऊ।
मौखिक
परिवाद संख्या:-160/2022
श्रीमती किरन सिंह व चार अन्य बनाम सहारा क्रेडिट को-आपरेटिव सोसाइटी लिमिटेड
मा0 न्यायमूर्ति श्री अशोक कुमार, अध्यक्ष द्वारा उदघोषित
दिनांक : 27-4-2023
परिवादिनी श्रीमती किरन सिंह व चार अन्य की ओर से प्रस्तुत परिवाद विपक्षी के विरूद्ध उपभोक्ता संरक्षण अधिनियम के अन्तर्गत इस न्यायालय के समक्ष इस अनुरोध के साथ प्रस्तुत किया गया है कि परिवादिनी को विपक्षीगण के विरूद्ध निम्न अनुतोष दिलाया जावे:-
- To pay a total consolidated amount due for payment after maturity till 30-06-2022 i.e. Rs. 65,91,277.44 as per the statement of account prepared by the Chartered Accountant, Sri. Gaurav G Agrawal,
- To pay interest @ 18% on the amount Rs. 65,91,277.44 from 30-06-2022 till its final payment.
- To pay sum of Rs. 5,00,000/- as damages for committing deficiency in service.
- To pay a sum of Rs. 10,00,000/- as compensation towards heavy mental stress and physical pain occasioned by the complainant for Unfair Trade Practice and Restrictive Trade Practice.
- To pay sum of Rs. 2,00,000/- as cost of the complaint.
- To grant any other relief which may deem fit and appropriate by Your Honour considering facts and circumstances of the case.
परिवाद की सुनवाई के समय परिवादिनी की ओर से विद्धान अधिवक्ता श्री अम्बरीष कौशल एवं विपक्षी की ओर से विद्धान अधिवक्ता श्री आलोक कुमार श्रीवास्तव उपस्थित आए।
दौरान प्रस्तुत परिवाद लम्बन परिवादिनी के अधिवक्ता श्री अम्बरीष कौशल द्वारा इस न्यायालय को अवगत कराया गया कि मा0 उच्चतम न्यायालय द्वारा रिट
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पिटीशन (सी) नं0-191/2022 में पारित आदेश दिनांकित 29.3.2023 के आदेश की प्रति प्रस्तुत की। उपरोक्त आदेश मा0 उच्चतम न्यायालय द्वारा उपरोक्त रिट पिटीशन में निम्नवत पारित किया गया है:-
''1. Present application being I.A. No. 56308 of 2023 has been preferred by the Union of India, Ministry of Corporation for appropriate directions to transfer an amount of Rs. 5,000 Crores out of unutilized amount of Rs. 23,937 Crores (lying in “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account”) to be disbursed against the legitimate dues of depositors of Sahara Group of Cooperatives Societies.
2. Shri Tushar Mehta, learned Solicitor General has submitted that a total amount of Rs. 24,979.67 Crores is lying unutilized with the SEBI in “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account”, which has been deposited pursuant to the earlier direction issued by this Court. He has submitted that out of the aforesaid amount of Rs. 15,569.27 Crores deposited by Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Limited and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation.
Limited, Rs. 2253 Crores had been taken out from Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Ltd. and deposited with SEBI on account of the dispute of Sahara Real Estate Limited. It is submitted that, thus, the corpus which is lying in “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account” already includes the amount which belongs to the depositors of the aforesaid Sahara Group Cooperative Society Ltd.
2.1 He has stated at the Bar that the amount deposited in “Sahara- SEBI Refund Account” is lying unutilized and in fact due to large number of continuing complaints against the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies and the amount lying unutilized is also consisting of the amount of the depositors of Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies, if Rs. 5,000 Crores is transferred to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies and thereafter the same is disbursed against the legitimate dues of the depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies, it will be just, proper and equitable.
2.2 He has stated at the Bar that on the aforesaid amount, there is no charge and/or attachment of any other agency. He has stated at the Bar that the present application has been filed for appropriate direction as prayed, after the series of meetings with the different authorities / departments, which shall be in the larger interest of the depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. He has also prayed that a suitable direction be also issued that the amount due and payable to the respective depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies may be disbursed in the most
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transparent manner and the same shall be paid to the genuine depositors on proper identification and on submitting their proof of deposits. He has also requested that for that a suitable direction be also issued that the amount shall be disbursed to the respective depositors under the supervision of the Former Judge of this Court.
3. Having heard Shri Tushar Mehta, learned Solicitor General appearing on behalf of the Union of India and taking into consideration the facts narrated hereinabove and when it is reported that Rs. 2253 Crores had been taken out of the Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Ltd., i.e., one of the four Sahara Group Multi-State Cooperative Societies and deposited with SEBI in the “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account” and the amount lying in the “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account” is lying unutilized and the genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies, which otherwise, shall be entitled to get back their money, the prayer sought in the present application seems to be reasonable and which shall be in the larger public interest / interest of the genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. Therefore, the present application stands disposed of with the following directions:-
(i) Out of the total amount of Rs. 24,979.67 Crores lying in the “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account”, Rs. 5000 Crores be transferred to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, who, in turn, shall disburse the same against the legitimate dues of the depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies, which shall be paid to the genuine depositors in the most transparent manner and on proper identification and on submitting proof of their deposits and proof of their claims and to be deposited in their respective bank accounts directly.
(ii) The disbursement shall be supervised and monitored by Justice R. Subhash Reddy, Former Judge of this Court with the able assistance of Shri Gaurav Agarwal, learned Advocate, who is appointed as Amicus Curiae to assist Justice R. Subhash Reddy as well as the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies in disbursing the amount to the genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. The manner and modalities for making the payment is to be worked out by the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies in consultation with Justice R. Subhash Reddy, Former Judge of this Court and Shri Gaurav Agarwal, learned Advocate.
(iii) Rs. 15 lakhs per month be paid to Justice R. Subhash Reddy, Former Judge of this Court and Rs. 5 lakhs
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per month be paid to Shri Gaurav Agarwal, learned Amicus Curiae towards their honorarium.
(iv) We direct that the amount be paid to the respective genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies out of the aforesaid amount of Rs. 5,000 Crores at the earliest, but not later than nine months from today. The balance amount thereafter be again transferred to the “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account”.
4. The present I.A. stands disposed of in terms of the above.''
परिवादिनी के विद्धान अधिवक्ता द्वारा कथन किया गया कि उक्त आदेश द्वारा मा0 उच्चतम न्यायालय के परिपेक्ष्य में परिवादिनी द्वारा सम्पूर्ण जमा धनराशि को प्राप्त कराने की देयता विपक्षी सहारा क्रेडिट को-आपरेटिव सोसाइटी लि0 द्वारा उल्लिखित समयावधि में सुनिश्चित की जावेगी जिस हेतु अपेक्षित प्रार्थना पत्र सविवरण परिवादिनी द्वारा विपक्षी कम्पनी के सम्मुख एवं सेन्ट्रल रजिस्ट्रार ऑफ को-आपरेटिव सोसाइटी, नई दिल्ली के सम्मुख एक माह की अवधि में प्रस्तुत किया जावेगा, जिस पर विधि के अनुसार मा0 उच्चतम न्यायालय के निर्णय पर समुचित आदेश उल्लिखित समयावधि में पारित किया जावेगा तथा जमा धनराशि मय ब्याज विधि के अनुसार परिवादी को प्राप्त करायी जावेगी।
उपरोक्त समस्त तथ्यों को दृष्टिगत रखते हुए प्रस्तुत परिवाद अंतिम रूप से निस्तारित किया जाता है। यहॉ यह तथ्य भी स्पष्ट किया जाता है कि विपक्षी द्वारा मा0 उच्चतम न्यायालय के उपरोक्त आदेश का शत-प्रतिशत अनुपालन सुनिश्चित न किये जाने पर विपक्षी के विरूद्ध हर्जाना हेतु परिवादिनी विधि के अनुसार प्रार्थना पत्र सक्षम न्यायालय/अधिकारी के सम्मुख प्रस्तुत कर सकती है।
आशुलिपिक/वैयक्तिक सहायक से अपेक्षा की जाती है कि वह इस निर्णय/आदेश को आयोग की वेबसाइट पर नियमानुसार यथाशीघ्र अपलोड कर दें।
(न्यायमूर्ति अशोक कुमार) (विकास सक्सेना) (सुधा उपाध्याय)
अध्यक्ष सदस्य सदस्य
प्रदीप मिश्रा, आशु0
कोर्ट नं0-1
