Bengaluru: A 70-year-old widow, Vinoda HS, has got relief after a consumer disputes redressal commission pulled up a city-based caregiver agency for abruptly stopping services for her bedridden son despite receiving the monthly fee in advance.The Bengaluru Urban II additional district consumer disputes redressal commission ordered Sagar Health Seva Foundation (SHSF) to refund the monthly fee paid in advance and pay compensation as well as litigation costs to the complainant, who lives in BSK III Stage, Bengaluru. The complainant’s only son, Vikram, is bedridden due to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, with spastic quadriparesis. He requires round-the-clock support for even basic day-to-day activities such as eating, bathing, and personal care. According to her complaint, SHSF assured her that it would provide trained caregivers who would stay at her residence and, to ensure uninterrupted service, substitutes would be arranged immediately in case anyone was absent. Based on these assurances, Vinoda signed a service agreement with the agency on April 18, 2024, and paid Rs 23,000 a month in advance through UPI transactions from April 2024 until Jan 2025. The agency initially provided the services, but the situation changed after she made the payment for Jan. The agency abruptly stopped sending the caregiver within two days of her Jan 11, 2025, payment, leaving her son without the required assistance. Despite repeated attempts to contact the agency for a replacement or refund, she allegedly received no response. Because of her son’s condition, Vinoda hired another person privately and lodged a police complaint on March 26, 2025, at Girinagar police station. She filed a consumer complaint on May 23, 2025, alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practices. In its defence, SHSF claimed in written arguments that Vinoda had violated the contract terms by independently contacting the caregiver. It stated that the caregiver had a family emergency. However, the commission noted that it did not provide any documentary evidence to support these claims. The commission bench, comprising president Vijaykumar M Pawale and member V Anuradha, on March 9 ordered SHSF to refund Rs 23,000 with 6% interest per annum from Jan 11, 2025, until realisation, along with Rs 10,000 towards mental agony and litigation costs. The bench also observed that SHSF had retained the advance payment without providing the promised service, causing mental distress and inconvenience to a senior citizen looking after a severely disabled son.
