A consumer court in Hyderabad has directed the organizers of a summer camp to refund the camp fees with interest and pay compensation to three children, following allegations from their parents that the children were kept in unhygienic and unsafe conditions.
Background of the Case
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-III, Hyderabad, issued the order on a complaint filed by three children and their fathers against the summer camp organizers, the managing director, and the camp venue, Kanha Shanti Vanam in Ranga Reddy district, Telangana.
The Allegations
The three children had enrolled in the '25th All India Residential Summer Camp,' held at Kanha Shanti Vanam from May 3 to May 22, 2025, for children aged between 8 and 18. Digital advertisements and brochures for the camp promised air-conditioned accommodation, hygienic food, round-the-clock medical facilities, security, separate housing for boys and girls, trained dorm parents, and emergency communication with parents. The fathers of the three children paid Rs 56,000 and Rs 55,000 each, totaling Rs 1,66,000, to enroll them.
According to the complaint, the camp did not provide the facilities mentioned in its brochures. The children's drinking water reportedly contained lizards and insects, the promised nutritious food was replaced with instant noodles, dormitories were overcrowded, children faced bullying that staff allegedly ignored, sick children were not given proper medical care, and they were denied communication with their parents even during emergencies. Laundry facilities were also unhygienic enough to cause skin rashes, the complaint stated.
After being informed that their children were unwell, parents visited the camp and found the conditions very unsafe for the minor children. They decided to withdraw their children within a few days and requested a refund, which the organizers refused. The parents then approached the consumer commission, seeking a refund with 18 percent interest, Rs 5,00,000 in compensation for each child, and Rs 50,000 in litigation costs.
Commission's Ruling
The commission stated that whatever the camp promised in its brochure, such as hygienic food, safe accommodation, medical care, and proper supervision, was not just advertising; it was treated as a real promise the camp had to keep. Since the camp failed to provide these things, the commission said this counted as poor service under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It also noted that promising one set of facilities through advertisements but delivering something completely different was a way of misleading and cheating customers, which the law treats as an unfair trade practice.
'The actual conditions at the camp were contrary to the promises made in the brochure and advertisements. Hence, the acts of the Opposite Parties also amount to unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019,' the commission said.
The organizers were sent notice but never responded or appeared before the commission, and the case proceeded without their side being heard. 'Though notice was served, the Opposite Parties failed to contest the matter and did not choose to rebut the allegations made by the complainants. Therefore, an adverse inference is liable to be drawn against them,' the commission added.
Citing a Supreme Court ruling, the commission said compensation under the act should 'adequately compensate consumers for harassment, mental agony and suffering,' and, citing another precedent, noted that an award of interest was justified since money had been wrongfully held back by the organizers.
Order Details
The commission directed the organizers to refund Rs 1,66,000 to the fathers with 12 percent annual interest from May 5, 2025, which is lower than the 18 percent the complainants had sought. Additionally, they were ordered to pay Rs 50,000 in compensation to each of the three children, totaling Rs 1,50,000. The organizers were also told to pay Rs 15,000 towards litigation costs, with the entire amount to be paid within 45 days.
