UNIT TRUST OF INDIA vs SRI SHANKAR DAS

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal by the Unit Trust of India, affirming the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission's order which upheld the compensation awarded to the respondent under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The court held that the respondent, despite being a trader in shares, was a 'consumer' as defined under Section 2(1)(d) of the Act, since the transaction was not part of a regular business but a solitary investment for profit. The court found no merit in the appellant's claim of deficiency in service, thus upholding the lower court's findings.