CHANDIGARH UT consumer forum directed
Healthway Immigration Consultant Private Limited to refund Rs 35,000 and pay Rs
15,000 as compensation to Ludhiana district resident Pawan Kumar, 29, within a
month. The forum headed by Lakshman Sharma also ordered that the firm pay the
complainant Rs 1,500 as cost of litigation.
Kumar had complained that
he wanted to visit UK on a working holiday visa and had paid Rs 35,000 to the
immigration firm for that. The UK high commission rejected Kumar’s visa
application in September 2008. Kumar had the right to appeal against that within
28 days of the rejection. However, he said, the immigration firm did not collect
the order and also failed to inform him about it, thereby making it impossible
for him to appeal within the given period.
The forum had sent a
notice to the immigration firm through a courier service. It returned with the
remark, ‘refused’. Holding that refusal of the notice was as good as
it being served, the forum proceeded with the case ex-parte.