The Hindu : Arrest warrants against resort MD

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 12, 2002

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National

Arrest warrants against resort MD

By Rajesh Ahuja

CHANDIGARH DEC. 11. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Fatehabad, has issued arrest warrants against the Managing Director of the Chennai-based Sterling Resorts for his failure to undergo "imprisonment for two months'' under Section 27 of the Consumer Protection Act. The warrants were issued on Dec. 4.

Earlier, on May 28 the Forum had sentenced him to undergo imprisonment for two months and pay a fine of Rs.1,000 or in default to undergo further imprisonment for 15 days.

The complainants, Chander Prakash Batra and Vinod Batra, residents of Fatehabad, had brought International Happy Vistas Time Share floated by the resort for 99 years by paying Rs. 89,725 on May 26,1998. They were allotted permanent time-share in the resort at Bhim Tal. However, they could not avail of their time-share at Bhim Tal and were subsequently offered some other place by the firm.

Mr. Batra told The Hindu that he had specifically opted for Bhim Tal after going through the Sterling Resorts brochure that clearly said that the apartments at the Bhim Tal resort were "fully furnished'' and a multi-cuisine restaurant and other facilities were also in place.

He was shocked when the company instead of honouring its promise asked them to enjoy their time-share elsewhere without assigning any reason. It was only much later that the resort wrote a formal letter to him on July 6,1999, informing him that the resort at Bhim Tal was not operational and "constructions'' there could not be completed for various reasons, including lack of sanctions from various statutory bodies and the Government.

He was asked to avail of holidays in the other operational resorts of the company.

He moved the District Consumer Forum in June 2000 seeking refund of the money paid by him along with interest.

Mr. Batra said he had specifically opted for Bhim Tal as his close relatives were staying there and his children were studying in the vicinity.

The Forum in its judgment dated July 5,2001, directed the company to refund the money along with 12 per cent interest within 30 days.

However, the company failed to return the amount.

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