Forum issues arrest warrant against builder, police yet to act

Dakshina Kannada District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum had issued an arrest warrant against builder Ramesh Kumar (63) of Gandhinagar, for failing to instal separate electricity meters (with separate RR numbers) at Maurishka Park in Kodialbail. But, the police have not taken any action yet.

In 2016, 17 apartment owners led by former superintendent of police K S Ibrahim had filed a complaint in a consumer forum accusing builder Ramesh Kumar and Maurishka Park Apartment Owners Association (MPAOA) of failing to instal separate electricity meters.

In December 2018, the consumer forum had directed both the builder Ramesh and R K Developers, a construction firm owned by Ramesh Kumar, to instal electricity meters.

Ramesh Kumar was also directed to activate the full-fledged sewage treatment plant (STP). The consumer forum directed Ramesh to pay a compensation of
Rs 50,000 and Rs 20,000 as litigation expenses to the complainants.

Ramesh’s appeal against the directions of the district consumer forum was rejected by the state consumer forum. When Ramesh failed to instal the electricity meters even after a year, the complainants filed an execution petition in the district consumer forum.

Based on the execution petition, the consumer forum under, section 27 of the Consumer Protection Act 1986, directed the Mangaluru commissioner in January this year to arrest builder Ramesh.

Nearly three months have passed, however, the Mangaluru commissioner of police is yet to execute the arrest warrant and produce the builder Ramesh Kumar before the commission.