The Ernakulam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a Coimbatore-based firm to pay ₹78,000 as compensation for printing framed photos of Christian saints, for which a church here had placed orders, on paper that had images of Hindu gods on the reverse side.
In 2022, St. John Baptist Church, near Palarivattom here, had placed an order of ₹53,750 for 2,150 framed photos with Coimbatore-based KG Imagica in connection with a church festival. They were distributed to the faithful, following which complaints arose that the photos had images of Hindu gods on the other side.
Sponsors’ claim
Four sponsors of the church festival approached the consumer commission with a complaint after attempts to sort out the issue with the firm failed. The sponsors contended that the incident led to discontent among parishioners, some of whom attempted to defame the complainants, causing them severe mental agony. They claimed refund of the amount and ₹1 lakh as compensation for mental agony, financial loss and harassment due to the opposite party’s negligent and unethical conduct.
While passing the order, commission president D.B. Binu and its members V. Ramachandran and T.N. Sreevidia observed that the complainants faced monetary loss and mental agony due to unfair trade practice by the firm. They ordered payment of ₹53,750 as expenditure for the framed photos, ₹20,000 as compensation and ₹5,000 as legal expense within 45 days to the complainants.
They further observed that the failure of the opposite parties to respond to the commission’s noticeamounted to an admission of the allegations levelled against them. The opposite party indulged in gross negligence and unfair trade practise, causing emotional distress to the complainants and parishioners, the commission said.
