Supreme Court Upholds Validity of Pecuniary Limits Under Consumer Protection Act, 2019

The Supreme Court has upheld the validity of Sections 34, 47, and 58 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which fix pecuniary jurisdiction of district, state, and national commissions based on consideration paid for the goods and services, not compensation claimed.

The case arose from a ₹50 crore compensation claim filed by a complainant whose wife died in a car fire, but NCDRC dismissed the claim as the car’s price was ₹44.4 lakh, below its ₹2 crore threshold.

Petitioners argued the rule was arbitrary and violated Article 14.

The Court held that the classification is constitutional, rational, and has a direct nexus with the object of efficient adjudications and not violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.