How do consumers fare in court hearings against companies who they claim have allegedly duped or deceived them? Not a smooth run always, suggests government data accessed by The Indian Express.
A response by BL Verma, Minister of State, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in Lok Sabha, dated December 4, 2024, highlights the number of consumer cases filed before commissions between the 2020 and 2024 in the Capital and also the number of pending cases.
In Delhi, approximately 4,700 cases on average were filed by the consumers each year between 2020 and 2024, according to Verma’s reply to TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti.
As of January 1, 2020, the consumer commissions in the Capital had 23,350 pending cases. Close to five years later, the number stood at 23,635. This means that the total number of cases disposed of in five years was almost equal to the number of new cases filed implying a stagnancy in disposal.
“Despite less than 4,700 cases being filed on average, the overall pendency is not reducing. This clearly shows that there is a major issue. Cases that should be disposed of in 90 days are taking two years on average,” said Professor Bejon Kumar Mishra, who has close to four decades of experience in consumer advocacy and education.
He added, “In a city with a population of close to three crores, less than 5,000 people are approaching consumer commissions. This shows a lack of trust in the system.”
Data shared by Verma, while responding to questions related to the pendency in consumer commissions on July 29 suggests that the disposal of consumer cases across the country in consumer commissions has slowed down, the government data suggests.
Even as an average of 1.74 lakh cases were disposed of every year between 2022 and 2025, there are 5.8 lakh pending cases in all consumer commissions across the country at present with an average disposal rate of 80%.
According to the Consumer Protection Act, every complaint needs to be disposed of within three months from the date of receipt of notice if the complaint does not require analysis or testing of commodities, and within five months if analysis is needed.
Even as the nationwide disposal of consumer cases was approximately 7,000 and 11,000 more than the number of filed cases in 2022 and 2023, respectively; this trend reversed in 2024. Last year, the cases filed exceeded the disposed cases by over 15,000.
Till July this year, approximately 76,000 cases have already been filed and 64,000 have been disposed of.
Data shared by the Minister in response to a different question earlier last month also sheds light on the number of vacancies present in several state consumer disputes redressal commissions. Across the country, 18 out of 36 state consumer disputes redressal commissions don’t have presidents, while vacancies exist for 62 members in these commissions. As far as district consumer disputes redressal commissions are concerned, 218 out of 685 commissions don’t have sitting presidents, while there are 518 vacancies for members.
On how to tackle the increasing pendency of consumer cases, professor Mishra suggested, “I feel eminent persons who have been involved in consumer rights should be made members and presidents of commissions. This way we’ll be sure that the posts are being occupied by those who are serious about consumer rights.”
“Most customers don’t know their rights, and even when they do, they usually avoid going to consumer courts. Sometimes the damage caused to them is worth Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000. Why would anyone want to hire a lawyer and pay a fee of Rs 50,000 for cases like this?,” he told The Indian Express.
Adding to that, Advocate Paras Jain said, “Seeking affidavit-in-evidence and written submissions by consumer courts in each and every case is frustrating the legislative intent of disposing of consumer complaints in three months….”
Jain represented his brother in a 12-year-long legal battle against Emami’s ‘Fair and Handsome’ skincare product which he eventually won.
“In a civil case, when a summary judgment can be passed without seeking any affidavit-in-evidence and written submissions, Consumer Courts can also decide on the complaint in a summary manner for the speedy disposal of cases,” he added.
As of January 1, 2020, the consumer commissions in the Capital had 23,350 pending cases. Close to five years later, the number stood at 23,635 (File Photo) 
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