Aaa o——EEeEO Ere
Consumer Protection Act, 1986 — s.13(2)(a) — Procedure on admission of complaint — Limitation period for filing written statement or giving version of the opponent as per the provisions of s. 13(2)(a) — Held: The opposite party is given 30 days time for giving his version and the said period for filing or giving the version can be extended by the District Forum, but extension should not exceed 15 days — Three Judge Bench of this Court.in Dr. J.J. Merchant case rightly held that the District Forum can grant a further period of 15 days to the opposite party for filing his version or reply and not beyond that - View expressed in Dr. J.J. Merchant case ~ (decided in 2002) holds the field and prevails over latter view taken in Kailash case (decided in 2005) that the time frame for filing the reply was not mandatory, but merely directory — Not only this three-Judge Bench, but even a Bench of coordinate strength of this Court, which decided the case of Kailash, was bound by the view taken by a three-Judge Bench in the case of Dr. J.J. Merchant — Thus, the law laid down in Dr. J.J. Merchant case should prevail.