Mohali: Skyrock Welfare Society chief gets 5-year term
Mohali, April 1
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has awarded five-year sentence (two-and-a half years in two separate cases consecutively) to Navjeet Singh, president of Skyrock Welfare Society, Mohali, for non-compliance of its order in two cases.
In the first case, the Commission had, on November 4, 2019, directed Navjeet Singh to refund Rs 14.40 lakh, along with 12 per cent interest per annum from the dates of deposits till payment, to the complainant, Gurpreet Kaur, a resident of Sector 70. The Commission had also directed him to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 5,000 as litigation expenses to her. Navjeet had failed to hand over the possession of a 200-yard plot to the complainant.
In the second case, the Commission had, on October 11, 2017, directed the president of the society to refund Rs 3.80 lakh, along with 12 per cent interest per annum from the dates of deposits till payment, to the complainants, Harminder Kaur and Daljit Singh Mahal, both residents of PEC Campus, Sector 12, Chandigarh. He was also directed to pay Rs35,000 as a compensation for mental agony and harassment caused to the complainants. The opposite party had failed to handover the possession of 200-yard plot to the complainants.
Commission president Sanjiv Dutt Sharma and member Gagandeep Gosal observed, “Since the accused has clearly shown his intention not to comply with the orders of this Commission and pleads guilty, we feel that we are left with no other option but to punish him under Section 72 of the Consumer Protection Act for wilful and intentional disobedience of our orders. We feel that the very purpose of the Act will fail if the persons like the accused are not brought to book and punished in accordance with law.”
The Commission directed Navjeet Singh to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of two and a half years with a fine of Rs50,000. In default of the payment of fine, the accused shall further undergo simple imprisonment for six months, consecutively in both the cases. If the accused is already undergoing imprisonment in some other case/cases, these sentences awarded shall commence after the completion of those sentences.
The accused has been sent to the New Jail, Nabha, where he is already in custody.
