Secretary, Thirumurugan Co-Operative vs M. Lalitha (Dead) Through Lrs. & Ors

The Supreme Court held that Section 90 of the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act, 1983, ousts the jurisdiction of consumer forums in disputes between members of a cooperative society and the society itself. The Court found that the respondents' complaints were not maintainable under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, as the Act provides a specific mechanism for resolving disputes within cooperative societies. Consequently, the Court upheld the order of the State Commission, which had dismissed the respondents' appeals, thereby affirming the jurisdictional limitations imposed by the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act.