The district consumer disputes redressal commission, Chandigarh, has directed University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panjab University, to refund ₹38,000 taken as fees along with interest.
It was also told to pay ₹10,000 for causing mental agony and harassment and ₹7,000 as costs of litigation
The complainant, Apurv Singhal, a resident of Sector 48, said that on August 8, 2018, he applied for spot round admission to UIET by paying a participation fee of ₹40,000 and the final seat was supposed to be confirmed on August 12, 2018.
However, on August 9 that year, Singhal got confirmation call for admission to another college, following which he sent a mail to the Joint Admission Committee (JAC) stating that he was opting out of the spot round and requested for refund.
However, despite opting out, a seat was allotted to him at Chandigarh College Of Engineering and Technology in Sector 26. Singhal told the commission that despite writing numerous emails as well as personal visits, the university didn’t refund the fees. Alleging that it amounts to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, he filed a complaint.
The university contested, “The complainant had confirmed his participation in the spot round and accordingly, he was allotted a seat in CCET as per admission rules. The participation fee was not paid to UIET, but to Joint Admission Committee, 2018 which was transferred to CCET on August 13, 2018, and as the complainant was allotted a seat, he had no claim on refund of participation fee.”
{{/usCountry}}The university contested, “The complainant had confirmed his participation in the spot round and accordingly, he was allotted a seat in CCET as per admission rules. The participation fee was not paid to UIET, but to Joint Admission Committee, 2018 which was transferred to CCET on August 13, 2018, and as the complainant was allotted a seat, he had no claim on refund of participation fee.”
{{/usCountry}}The commission observed: “The opposition party is taking contradictory stand in its reply, as on one hand it is admitting the receipt of email from the complainant and on the other hand it is refusing to refund the fee by taking the plea that the custodian of the amount is some other party which has not been arrayed by the complainant as OP in the present consumer complaint.”
The commission observed that it was UIET’s duty to have taken action on the email sent by the complainant and directed it to refund ₹ 38,000, after deducting ₹2,000 (registration cum counselling fee), along with interest @ 9% per annum.