Section 69 of CPA : Section 69: Limitation Period

Explanation using Example

Imagine that Mr. Sharma purchased a refrigerator on January 1, 2020, which came with a one-year warranty. Six months after the warranty expired, the refrigerator stopped working. Mr. Sharma tried to resolve the issue with the manufacturer but received no satisfactory response. On January 5, 2023, realizing that the manufacturer would not assist him, Mr. Sharma decided to file a complaint with the District Consumer Commission. Since more than two years had elapsed since the cause of action (refrigerator failure) arose, the complaint would generally not be admitted as per Section 69(1) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

However, Mr. Sharma explained to the Commission that he was dealing with severe health issues during the period which prevented him from filing the complaint in time. After reviewing his medical documents and understanding that he had a 'sufficient cause' for the delay, the District Commission decided to admit his complaint despite the lapse of the two-year period, recording the reasons for condoning the delay as required by the proviso to Section 69(2).