local farmers/respondent nos. 2 to 6 and issued a receipt of deposit. In the said receipt, the conditions were mentioned and also the validity of the said storage. The potatoes are usually are taken out by the farmers till the end of September every year but in September 2008, the rates of potatoes was very low and therefore, respondent nos. 2 to 6 did not turn up to take the potatoes, which continued to be stored in the cold storage owned by the petitioner. It seems that due to the fact that the potatoes were stored for longer length of time, the same were deteriorated and consequently, due to the damage occurred to the said storage, respondent nos. 2 to 6 preferred a complaint under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 before the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Ambedkar Nagar. On being served a notice the petitioner had appeared before the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Ambedkar Nagar but he did not file any written objections. Thereafter the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum after considering the material on record and the evidence adduced by respondent nos. 2 to 6 returned the finding that respondent nos. 2 to 6 had deposited their potatoes in the cold storage owned by the petitioner and also took into account the published rate and its value and the value of bags and accordingly valued the potatoes for all the private respondents. The Forum concluded that there was negligence on the part of the petitioner due to which the potatoes were destroyed and allowed the claim of the private respondents directing the petitioner to pay the value of the goods as per the said judgment. It also imposed cost arising from mental physical and financial loss caused and also the cost of said litigation.
