Institute asked to refund fee in toto

■ Chaitanya claims no deficiency in service

Sri Chaitanya Educational Institution, Madhapur, has to compensate a resident of Mahbubnagar in keeping with the orders of the consumer forum.

In 2013, Sri Manikya Prabhu reserved a seat for his daughter, A. Deepthi, in the Nagole branch of the institution for Intermediate coaching. The institution assured him that apart from excellent coaching facilities, it also offered good accommodation and food.

Based on these assurances, Mr Prabhu paid an amount of `10,250 as advance application fees on January 21, 2013. However, after the SSC results were announced, Deepthi did not want to join the institution because she was informed by her friends that the rooms were congested, the food was inedible and the coaching was mediocre. Instead, she decided to join Narayana College.

Mr Prabhu approached the officials of the Sri Chaitanya Educational Institution and submitted a refund form in April, but he was denied the refundable advance fee, despite his daughter not having joined the course. Even after repeated demands, the institution did not yield.

Officials from Sri Chaitanya stated that the advance deposit had been collected only after the parent and the student had verified all the amenities available, and therefore the complaint against the institution was invalid. They also stated that they had not acted irresponsibly with the complainant and that since the complainant had signed the admission form after reading the terms and conditions, there was no question of a deficiency of service.

The forum ruled in favour of the complainant saying that the institution had not submitted an affidavit of evidence supporting its claims. Moreover, since the institution had not replied to the notice sent by the court to the complainant, it proved that there had been a deficiency of service. The complainant was awarded a sum of `10,000 with interest calculated at 24 percent per annum from April 2, 2013. A further `10,000 was awarded to the complainant as compensation, and `1,000 to cover his costs.