5 months ago
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For galore wronged consumers crossed India, the committedness of “speedy justice” enshrined successful instrumentality remains distant. Consumer courts, conceived as accessible and inexpensive forums for mean citizens, person progressively go arenas of prolonged litigation.
That world unfolds successful the beingness of 60-year-old Ashok (name changed), whose user quality has been pending for astir a decade. At 4 a.m., the tiny overgarment mill proprietor locks his location successful Panchkula, Chandigarh, and takes the agelong roadworthy to Delhi. By the clip helium reaches the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) successful the bosom of the nationalist superior astir 11 a.m., helium has already spent 7 exhausting hours successful transit.
Mr. Ashok’s lawsuit relates to an security assertion arising retired of a occurrence incidental that gutted his tiny overgarment mill successful 2015. When the seat rises for the day, his substance remains unheard. The tribunal maestro announces the adjacent day — six months later.
“This has been happening for the past 3 years. For 1 crushed oregon another, my lawsuit ne'er comes up. I don’t cognize what to bash anymore,” Mr. Ashok says.
Mr. Ashok is not unsocial successful experiencing this ordeal.
Twenty-eight-year-old Raju (name changed) from a tiny territory successful Chhattisgarh had dreamt of mounting up a insubstantial cupful manufacturing portion 5 years ago. He paid the afloat magnitude online for a insubstantial cup-making instrumentality and took indebtedness from a section slope to money the purchase. The instrumentality ne'er arrived.
Mr. Raju has since been embroiled successful a protracted litigation — archetypal earlier the territory user court, and aboriginal astatine the State forum. His lawsuit has present reached the National Consumer Court aft the other enactment decided to situation the bid passed successful his favour successful the little forums.
Each proceeding requires him to undertake a 24-hour bid travel to the nationalist superior — with nary assurance that his lawsuit volition really beryllium heard.
“The past day was November 24. My lawsuit did not travel up due to the fact that the court’s clip got exhausted with cases astatine the apical of the list,” helium recalls.
“This has happened 3 oregon 4 times already. Every time, I americium fixed different day six months later. I person present turned into a indebtedness defaulter,” Mr. Raju says. “I person been wronged, truthful I volition support warring — adjacent if it takes different 10 years.”
The challenges of being your ain ‘lawyer’ astatine the user court
Growing backlog
Stories specified arsenic Mr. Ashok’s and Mr. Raju’s reflector a systemic situation playing retired crossed user courts nationwide.
A effect by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution successful Parliament shows that arsenic of January 30, 2024, a full of 5.43 lakh user complaints were pending earlier district, State and nationalist user commissions.
In 2024, the commissions received 1.73 lakh caller cases but disposed of lone 1.58 lakh, starring to a nett summation of astir 14,900 cases. The inclination continued successful 2025. Up to July this year, 78,031 caller complaints were filed, portion 65,537 cases were disposed of.
This backlog persists contempt wide statutory timelines nether the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Section 38(7) of the Act mandates that complaints beryllium decided wrong 3 months wherever nary investigating oregon investigation is required, and wrong 5 months wherever specified introspection is necessary.
The instrumentality besides explicitly discourages delays, stating that adjournments should not ordinarily beryllium granted unless capable origin is shown and reasons are recorded successful writing.
Structural bottlenecks
Advocate Anand Prakash attributes the delays to deep-rooted structural issues.
“Many user commissions are burdened with thousands of pending matters and deficiency capable staff, modern facilities, oregon effectual integer lawsuit absorption systems,” helium says. “Vacancies successful judicial and non-judicial posts, constricted courtrooms and logistical constraints proceed to impede timely hearings.”
The staffing situation has intensified implicit time. As of August 19, 2025, 18 posts of President and 62 posts of Member were vacant successful State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commissions. At the territory level, 218 posts of President and 518 posts of Member remained vacant.
This marks a important emergence from February 2, 2024, erstwhile 13 posts of President and 47 posts of Member astatine the State level, and 131 posts of President and 340 posts of Member astatine the territory level were vacant.
Another challenge, Mr. Prakash says, lies successful the quality of disputes themselves. “Many committee Members are legally trained but deficiency subject-matter expertise successful specialised areas specified arsenic aesculapian negligence, marine insurance, overseas commercialized oregon analyzable fiscal products.”
This often necessitates adept opinions, laboratory reports oregon method clarifications, starring to repeated adjournments. “Without continuous grooming oregon specialised benches, analyzable cases inevitably determination overmuch slower than the Act contemplates,” helium says.
Delays are besides caused by procedural hurdles — non-service of notices, precocious filing of affidavits, and requests for clip to taxable further evidence. “At times, other parties deliberately question adjournments to harass complainants and deterioration them down,” Mr. Prakash alleges.
