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HT held guilty of unfair trade practices
N.D. Sharma

Bhopal, February 7
The District Consumer Forum, Bhopal, has found Hindustan Times guilty of indulging in unfair trade practices to boost its circulation and ordered the company to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation to the complainant.

Dr Khalid Hamid had complained to the forum that Hindustan Times (Bhopal edition) had last year started a scheme for schoolchildren under which the children, on paying a certain amount, would get a copy of the paper and would be invited to join various entertainment and excursion programmes. Dr Hamid’s son, Shahbez Ben Khalid, studying at Campion School, and daughter, Zoha Khalid, a student of St Joseph’s Convent, deposited Rs 100 and Rs 90, respectively, under the scheme.

The complainant said the newspaper did not fulfil its commitments in spite of repeated reminders. After hearing the two sides, the forum, comprising Mr R.B.S. Baghel (Chairman), Ms Neerja Singh and Mr Naresh Pahuja (members), ordered the newspaper to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation and another Rs 500 towards litigation costs to Dr Khalid Hamid. The forum also directed the newspaper not to mislead innocent children through false advertisements in the future.