In Brief
An association of flat allottees filed consumer complaints against a builder for delay in construction and failure to pay compensation. The builder challenged the association's legal status through regulatory proceedings, causing the National Consumer Commission to indefinitely adjourn the complaints. The Supreme Court held that when individual allottees file affidavits, the complaints are maintainable as joint complaints under the consumer law without requiring technical compliance with association bylaws. The Court emphasized that consumer protection legislation demands a liberal, pro-consumer interpretation and rejected pedantic procedural obstacles. The Court set aside the indefinite adjournments and directed the National Commission to hear the complaints on merits expeditiously, protecting consumers' right to timely redressal.
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