A school on Salunke Vihar Road has been asked by the Pune District Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum to refund Rs43,000 fee to the parent who had canceled his son’s admission to standard II in 2011.
A school on Salunke Vihar Road has been asked by the Pune District Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum to refund Rs43,000 fee to the parent who had canceled his son’s admission to standard II in 2011.
Dharmesh Vyas of New Market Plaza, Clover Village, had approached the forum alleging that the management of St. Mathews Academy on Salunke Vihar Road was dilly-dallying to refund the fee after he cancelled his son’s admission to standard II in 2011.
The school had argued that the parent is not a consumer and, hence the consumer forum has no locus standi. However, the consumer forum president Anjali Deshmukh and member SK Kapse opined that the school indulged in unfair trade practice and ordered that it refunds the fee of Rs43,000 to the parent along with 9% interest and suit cost of Rs1,000.
Vyas had filed his suit through his lawyer Nilesh Bhandari on June 27, 2011. His plaint named principal of St Mathews Academy, Salunke Vihar Road in Kondhwa as respondent. Arundhati Mundalik appeared for the school.
Vyas had alleged in his plaint, “I took admission for my son in standard II with St. Mathews Academy. I had enrolled his name on March 26, 2011, and paid fee of Rs43,000 and Rs10,000 as caution money deposit. Later on April 30, 2011, I cancelled the admission due to personal reasons. The school refunded caution money deposit of Rs10,000 but not the fees.”
School’s lawyer Mundalik pointed out, “When Vyas took admission in March 2011, he was informed about the norms and fee refund. Once the admission is taken, the seat is confirmed and in case of cancellation of admission, the seat remains vacant. Vyas on April 30, 2011 had filed an application for refunding the amount but had hidden the fact that they have already taken admission for their son elsewhere. The case should be dismissed and Vyas should be fined Rs25,000.”
Bhandari said, “The school has no proof that the seat remained vacant due to cancellation of admission.” The forum observed in its order, “The school did not produced any document about the fee refund norms and this is unfair trade practice. The fee receipt dated March 26, 2011, mentioned payment of admission fee of Rs20,000, student development fund Rs10,000, first term fee Rs8,000, Rs2,500 for activity and Rs2,500 for computer.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}