When Farhan Sameer secured a merit-based seat at TKM Engineering College in Kollam, his family had every reason to be relieved. What they did not expect was that getting their Rs 30,000 deposit back from the college they had originally booked would take them nearly three years and a consumer court order to sort out.
The case was filed by Farhan's mother, Advocate Rahana P.A., before the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Idukki. On 30 June 2026, the commission ruled in her favour, directing Mangalam College of Engineering in Kottayam to return the deposit with interest, and pay additional compensation for the trouble caused.
How it started
In July 2023, Farhan paid Rs 30,000 to Mangalam College of Engineering to book a seat in the B.Tech Computer Science programme for the 2023-27 academic year. According to the complaint, the college assured the family that the amount would be fully refunded if Farhan secured admission through the merit quota at any reputed institution.
That is exactly what happened. Farhan got through to TKM Engineering College, Kollam, one of Kerala's well-regarded government engineering colleges, on merit. His family informed Mangalam College about this on 25 August 2023 and requested a refund.
The runaround
What followed was a frustrating sequence of visits, requests, and conditions.
When Rahana and her son visited the college on 4 September 2023 to collect the documents and the refund, the college first insisted on a written request. When the written request was submitted, the college then asked them to drop the demand for the money altogether — as a condition for returning the original certificates.
The college eventually handed back the documents. The Rs 30,000, however, was not returned.
A legal notice was sent on 13 October 2023. The college did not respond. With no other option left, Rahana filed a complaint before the Idukki District Consumer Commission in December 2023.
What the commission found
The commission noted that Mangalam College of Engineering did not appear before it despite being served notice in December 2023, and was accordingly proceeded against ex-parte.
Going through the evidence submitted by the complainant, the bench found that the Rs 30,000 collected under the college's own receipt was explicitly a seat booking amount, separate from the first-year tuition fee. The commission also found that Farhan had not attended a single class at the college.
Crucially, the college produced no rule, policy, or signed agreement that would justify keeping the deposit when a student does not join. The bench concluded that the college's refusal to return the amount, despite its own stated assurance, amounted to both unfair trade practice and deficiency in service.
What the commission ordered
The commission directed Mangalam College of Engineering to refund the full Rs 30,000 to the complainant, along with interest at 7 per cent per annum from the date of the order until the amount is fully paid.
It further ordered the college to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for mental agony and Rs 3,000 towards litigation costs.
The entire order is to be complied with within 30 days of the college receiving the certified copy. If the college fails to comply within that period, the compensation amount will also begin attracting 7 per cent interest from the date of the order.
Check the case judgement here:
