KARACHI(National Times)- A consumer court has directed two internet service providers (ISPs) to pay Rs50,000 as compensation for defective service to a plaintiff.
Khaleeq Ahmed, a lawyer, had filed a lawsuit before Judicial Magistrate (South) Abdul Ahad Memon under the relevant provision of the Sindh Consumer Protection Act, 2014, seeking compensation from defendants as they allegedly provided “faulty and deficient services” to the plaintiff.
After hearing the plaintiff and giving repeated opportunities to the defendants to contend in the court, the judge directed both defendants to pay jointly and severally Rs50,000 to the plaintiff for “deficiency in service.”
He also ordered them to deposit Rs5,000 into the Sindh government treasury as a fine.
The court further directed the defendants to “improve their service in all aspects to ensure smooth, uninterrupted and quality provision of the internet.”
In its detailed order, the court noted: “The record reflects that the complainant remained deprived of the services for which he had been regularly paying consideration to the defendants. The documentary evidence available on record, particularly the complaint history, legal notices exchanged between the parties, and the defendants’ own reply acknowledging restoration of service after a considerable period, establishes that the complainant suffered inconvenience, frustration, and mental agony on account of the deficient and unsatisfactory services rendered by the defendants.”
“The conduct of the defendants in failing to effectively address the repeated complaints of the complainant amounts to a violation of the consumer’s right to receive services of the quality and standard promised at the time of subscription,” it added.
The court observed that records revealed that the defendants failed to redress the grievances of the plaintiff, while they did not contest the proceedings despite appearing through their counsel.
According to the plaintiff, despite paying his bill on time, he had experienced continuous disruption and disconnection of the internet services.
He added that he had complained multiple times and sent a legal notice to them, adding that despite assurances from them, the quality of the internet remained unsatisfactory and the connection continued to suffer interruptions on various occasions.
“This court is satisfied that the complainant has successfully proved, on the balance of probabilities, that the defendants failed to provide internet services in the manner promised and paid for, and that such conduct amounts to deficiency in service within the meaning of the Sindh Consumer Protection Act, 2014,” the court ruled.
