Photo Courtesy: northeasttoday
Agartala: The Tripura High Court has overturned the removal of Gautam Sarkar, the former President of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in West Tripura. A division bench composed of Justice T. Amarnath Goud and Justice S. Datta Purkayastha ruled that the authorities failed to follow proper legal procedures and violated the principles of natural justice when issuing his removal order.
Sarkar, who began his term on April 10, 2025, challenged a February 12, 2026, notification that dismissed him following an inquiry into various complaints. His legal counsel argued that the process was fundamentally flawed because Sarkar never received copies of the complaints, witness statements, or other evidence used against him. This lack of transparency prevented him from mounting a fair defense as required by the Consumer Protection Act and the associated 2020 Rules.
The court has ordered the state to issue a fresh show-cause notice to Sarkar and to carefully consider his subsequent reply before arriving at a final, reasoned decision. While the removal order is now void, the bench noted that Sarkar will not be permitted to resume his duties at the commission while the new inquiry process is underway.
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