In Brief
In a batch of consumer protection appeals, the Supreme Court examined whether the 30-day period for filing a written statement under Section 13 of the Consumer Protection Act must commence from the date the opposite party receives the notice, as held in J.J. Merchant v. Srinath Chaturvedi. The Court found this declaration lacks express statutory basis and directed referral to the Chief Justice for constitution of a larger bench to authoritatively determine the correct commencing point of the limitation period.
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