In Brief
A two-judge bench examined whether the 30-day period under Section 13(2) of the Consumer Protection Act for filing a written statement must commence from the date of receipt of notice. The Court found that the statutory text does not explicitly mandate this commencement date and that J.J. Merchant's earlier declaration to that effect lacked textual basis. The bench concluded that adjudicatory bodies have discretion in fixing the commencement date per case. However, finding the issue requires authoritative resolution, the Court directed referral to the Chief Justice for appropriate directions instead of rendering final judgment.
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