Terms & Conditions

Welcome to Pandal Sathi ("Pandal Sathi", "Platform", "Website", "we", "us" or "our").

Pandal Sathi is an online platform intended to help individuals discover, connect and communicate with other members for friendship, companionship, relationship and/or matrimonial purposes, as applicable to the services offered on the Platform.

By accessing, registering on, browsing or using Pandal Sathi, creating a profile, uploading information or photographs, sending or accepting a match request, purchasing a membership or using our communication features, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to be bound by these Terms & Conditions ("Terms").

If you do not agree with these Terms, you must not register for or use the Platform.

These Terms constitute an electronic agreement between you and the operator of Pandal Sathi and are intended to govern your use of the Platform in accordance with applicable laws of India.

1. ELIGIBILITY

1.1 You must be 18 years of age or older to register and use Pandal Sathi.

1.2 By registering, you represent and warrant that:

• you are at least 18 years old;
• you have the legal capacity to enter into an agreement under applicable Indian law;
• the information provided by you is accurate and truthful;
• you are registering for yourself and not impersonating another person;
• you are not prohibited by law from using an online matchmaking, social or communication service.

1.3 Pandal Sathi is intended for adults only. Accounts belonging to minors are strictly prohibited.

1.4 We reserve the right to request reasonable information or documentation where necessary to verify age, identity, authenticity or other information provided by a member.

2. REGISTRATION AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION

2.1 You are responsible for providing complete, accurate and current information while creating your profile.

2.2 Information may include, depending upon the features available on the Platform:

• name;
• age/date of birth;
• gender;
• location;
• occupation;
• education;
• interests;
• photographs;
• relationship preferences;
• lifestyle information;
• contact information; and
• other information voluntarily provided by you.

2.3 You must not knowingly provide false, misleading, fraudulent or materially incomplete information.

2.4 You must not create a profile using another person's name, photographs, identity or personal information without lawful authority and consent.

2.5 You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential.

2.6 You are responsible for all activity conducted through your account unless you have promptly notified us of unauthorised access.

2.7 You must immediately inform Pandal Sathi if you believe that your account has been compromised, misused or accessed without your permission.

3. AUTHENTICITY OF PROFILES

Pandal Sathi is intended to facilitate genuine connections.

However, Pandal Sathi does not guarantee that every profile, photograph, statement, qualification, occupation, marital status, financial status, educational qualification, location or other information provided by a member is accurate or genuine.

Members must therefore exercise their own judgment before relying upon information supplied by another member.

You understand and acknowledge that:

• profile information is supplied by members;
• some information may not be independently verified;
• photographs may not represent the member's current appearance;
• members may change their personal circumstances after registration;
• Pandal Sathi cannot guarantee the identity or intentions of every member.

Where we provide a verification facility, verification only means that certain information has been checked against the verification process used by Pandal Sathi. Verification should not be interpreted as a guarantee, certification, endorsement or warranty regarding the character, intentions, financial position, suitability or conduct of a member.

4. ACCEPTABLE USE

You agree to use Pandal Sathi responsibly, respectfully and lawfully.

You must not use the Platform to:

• harass, threaten, intimidate or stalk another member;
• repeatedly contact a person who has clearly indicated that they do not wish to communicate;
• send obscene, sexually explicit, abusive or offensive content;
• make unwanted sexual advances;
• make inappropriate or disrespectful proposals;
• discriminate against or abuse another member;
• impersonate another individual;
• deceive or defraud another member;
• solicit money or financial assistance;
• promote illegal activities;
• advertise unrelated products or services without permission;
• distribute spam or bulk messages;
• distribute malware, viruses or malicious code;
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to another account;
• scrape, copy or commercially exploit member information without authorisation;
• use another member's photographs or personal information without permission;
• collect personal information about members for purposes unrelated to the Platform;
• use the Platform for escorting, prostitution or other unlawful commercial sexual activities;
• facilitate trafficking or exploitation;
• promote violence, terrorism or other unlawful activities;
• upload content that violates applicable Indian law; or
• otherwise misuse the Platform.

5. CHAT AND COMMUNICATION

Pandal Sathi may provide chat or messaging facilities to members.

You agree that all communication through the Platform must remain respectful and lawful.

The following are prohibited:

5.1 Harassment

Repeated unwanted messages, threats, intimidation, humiliation, stalking or targeted harassment are prohibited.

5.2 Abusive language

Obscene, sexually explicit, threatening, defamatory, hateful or abusive language may result in moderation or account suspension.

5.3 Unwanted proposals

Members must respect another person's boundaries.

A match request or conversation does not constitute consent to receive sexual, romantic, financial or personal proposals.

5.4 Personal information

Do not pressure another member to disclose:

• passwords;
• OTPs;
• banking credentials;
• Aadhaar information;
• PAN information;
• credit/debit card information;
• confidential employment information; or
• other sensitive personal information.

5.5 Financial requests

Members must not use the Platform to solicit money, loans, investments, gifts, cryptocurrency, financial assistance or other monetary benefits from another member.

6. PHOTOGRAPHS AND USER CONTENT

6.1 You retain your rights in photographs and other content uploaded by you, subject to the rights necessary for Pandal Sathi to operate the Platform.

6.2 By uploading content, you represent that:

• you own the content or have permission to use it;
• the content does not infringe another person's intellectual property rights;
• the content does not violate another person's privacy;
• you have appropriate permission where required;
• the content does not contain unlawful, obscene, defamatory or abusive material.

6.3 You must not upload photographs of another person as your own.

6.4 You must not upload photographs containing children/minors in circumstances that are inappropriate or unrelated to legitimate use of the Platform.

6.5 Pandal Sathi may remove content that violates these Terms or applicable law.

7. CONSENT AND PRIVACY

Pandal Sathi may collect and process personal information necessary to provide its services.

This may include information provided during registration, profile creation, communications, payments, verification and use of the Platform.

The collection and processing of personal data will be governed by our Privacy Policy and applicable Indian data-protection laws, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and applicable rules/provisions as they come into force.

Where consent is required, we will seek consent in accordance with applicable law.

You should carefully review the Privacy Policy before using the Platform.

The DPDP framework specifically contemplates transparent notices explaining the personal data being processed and the purposes for processing, along with mechanisms concerning consent and user rights.

Important: The Terms & Conditions should therefore be accompanied by a separate, properly drafted Privacy Policy rather than trying to put all data-protection provisions inside these Terms.

8. MATCHING SERVICES

Pandal Sathi may provide matching, recommendation, compatibility or search features.

Any compatibility percentage, recommendation, match score or similar feature is provided only as a technology-assisted indication.

It does not constitute:

• a guarantee of compatibility;
• a guarantee of marriage;
• a guarantee of friendship or relationship;
• a guarantee of successful communication;
• a psychological assessment;
• a professional compatibility assessment; or
• a guarantee of the character or intentions of another member.

Users are solely responsible for deciding whether they wish to communicate with or meet another member.

9. OFFLINE MEETINGS AND PERSONAL SAFETY

Any meeting between members arranged through Pandal Sathi is undertaken entirely at the members' own discretion and risk.

We strongly recommend that members:

• meet initially in a busy public place;
• inform a trusted friend or family member about the meeting;
• arrange their own transportation;
• avoid sharing their home address;
• avoid sharing financial information;
• avoid carrying unnecessary valuables;
• avoid sending money to someone they have met online;
• remain alert to suspicious behaviour;
• leave immediately if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Never send money merely because someone claims to have an emergency, medical problem, travel problem, business opportunity or financial difficulty.

Pandal Sathi does not arrange, supervise, guarantee or participate in offline meetings between members.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Pandal Sathi shall not be responsible for disputes, injuries, losses, fraud, misrepresentation, harassment or other incidents occurring between members outside the Platform.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable Indian law.

10. FRAUD, SCAMS AND FINANCIAL REQUESTS

Members must exercise particular caution regarding financial fraud.

A member may not use Pandal Sathi to:

• obtain money through deception;
• solicit investments;
• request loans;
• request emergency financial assistance;
• sell fraudulent products;
• promote fraudulent investment schemes;
• obtain bank credentials or OTPs;
• impersonate government officials, banks or other institutions;
• conduct phishing or other fraudulent activity.

If another member asks you for money or financial information, you should immediately stop communication and report the account.

Pandal Sathi may suspend or terminate accounts suspected of fraudulent activity and may preserve or disclose information where required by applicable law or lawful governmental/law-enforcement requests.

11. PROHIBITED CONTENT

You must not upload, transmit or distribute content that:

• is unlawful;
• is obscene or sexually explicit;
• promotes exploitation;
• threatens or encourages violence;
• promotes terrorism;
• constitutes harassment;
• is defamatory;
• infringes intellectual property rights;
• violates privacy rights;
• contains malicious software;
• promotes fraudulent schemes;
• impersonates another person or organisation;
• violates applicable Indian law; or
• is otherwise prohibited under these Terms.

Pandal Sathi may remove or restrict access to content that violates applicable law or these Terms.

The Platform may also take action in accordance with applicable intermediary and information-technology requirements. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 remain an important part of India's online-platform regulatory framework.

12. REPORTING AND GRIEVANCES

Members are encouraged to report:

• fake profiles;
• harassment;
• abusive behaviour;
• inappropriate content;
• impersonation;
• scams;
• financial requests;
• threats;
• privacy violations;
• suspicious activity; or
• other violations of these Terms.

Reports may be reviewed by Pandal Sathi's administrative/moderation team.

We may request additional information to investigate a complaint.

Where appropriate, we may:

• issue warnings;
• restrict communication;
• remove content;
• temporarily suspend accounts;
• permanently terminate accounts;
• block devices or other access mechanisms where technically and legally appropriate;
• cooperate with lawful investigations.

A complaint does not automatically establish that the reported member has committed a violation. We may conduct a reasonable review before taking action, subject to the urgency and nature of the complaint.

13. ACCOUNT SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION

Pandal Sathi reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to suspend, restrict or terminate an account where we reasonably believe that:

• these Terms have been violated;
• false information has been provided;
• the account is fraudulent;
• another person is being impersonated;
• the account is being used for unlawful activity;
• another member is being harassed or threatened;
• the Platform is being abused;
• payment or subscription activity is fraudulent;
• the account creates a security or legal risk;
• suspension is required by law or lawful governmental direction.

In serious cases, termination may occur without prior warning where immediate action is reasonably necessary to protect members, the Platform or third parties.

14. PAID MEMBERSHIPS AND PAYMENTS

Certain features may require payment of a subscription or membership fee.

Before purchasing a paid service, you will be provided with the applicable price, duration and material conditions.

Payments may be processed through third-party payment service providers.

You agree that:

• payment information must be accurate;
• you must not use an unauthorised payment method;
• you must not initiate fraudulent chargebacks;
• subscription benefits may vary according to the membership plan;
• access to paid features may be restricted following account termination for violation of these Terms.

14.1 Refunds

Refund eligibility shall be governed by the applicable subscription/refund policy displayed at the time of purchase.

Where an account is terminated because of a member's serious violation of these Terms, fraudulent conduct, unlawful activity, impersonation, harassment or abuse of the Platform, fees may be non-refundable to the extent permitted by applicable law and the applicable payment/refund terms.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to unlawfully remove any mandatory consumer right or remedy available under applicable law.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 regulates consumer rights and unfair contractual practices, so refund and termination clauses should be drafted carefully rather than using an unrestricted "no refund under any circumstances" clause.

15. NO GUARANTEE OF RESULTS

Pandal Sathi does not guarantee that you will:

• find a suitable partner;
• receive a match;
• receive a response to a match request;
• enter into a relationship;
• get married;
• find friendship or companionship;
• achieve any particular personal outcome.

The Platform provides technology and communication facilities. The outcome of any relationship is entirely outside our control.

16. NO BACKGROUND-CHECK GUARANTEE

Unless expressly stated otherwise for a particular verification feature, Pandal Sathi does not guarantee that members have undergone criminal, financial, employment, educational, marital-status or comprehensive identity background checks.

Members should independently verify important information before entering into a serious personal, financial or matrimonial relationship.

17. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

All Platform content, including where applicable:

• Pandal Sathi branding;
• logos;
• designs;
• graphics;
• software;
• website layout;
• text;
• icons;
• databases;
• algorithms;
• matching systems;
• trademarks; and
• other proprietary material

is owned by or licensed to Pandal Sathi and is protected under applicable intellectual-property laws.

You may not reproduce, copy, modify, distribute, sell, reverse engineer or commercially exploit Platform materials without prior written permission, except where permitted by law.

18. PLATFORM AVAILABILITY

We aim to keep Pandal Sathi available and functional; however, we do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation.

The Platform may occasionally become unavailable because of:

• maintenance;
• upgrades;
• server issues;
• internet failures;
• cybersecurity incidents;
• third-party service failures;
• governmental restrictions;
• force majeure events; or
• circumstances outside our reasonable control.

19. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Pandal Sathi may use third-party services for purposes such as:

• payment processing;
• hosting;
• analytics;
• email;
• SMS;
• authentication;
• cloud storage;
• security;
• communication.

Use of third-party services may be subject to those providers' own terms and privacy policies.

Pandal Sathi is not responsible for independent failures or actions of third-party providers except to the extent liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

20. USER RESPONSIBILITY

You acknowledge that you are solely responsible for your interactions with other members.

You should not rely exclusively on information contained in another person's profile when making important decisions.

You are responsible for conducting appropriate verification and exercising reasonable judgment before:

• sharing personal information;
• sharing your location;
• travelling to meet someone;
• entering a relationship;
• becoming financially involved with someone;
• entering into marriage;
• making financial commitments.

21. INDEMNIFICATION

To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Pandal Sathi, its owners, operators, employees, contractors and service providers from claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses arising from:

• your violation of these Terms;
• your unlawful conduct;
• your misuse of the Platform;
• content uploaded by you;
• infringement of another person's rights;
• fraudulent activity conducted by you;
• your interactions or transactions with other members.

This clause shall not apply to the extent a claim arises from fraud, wilful misconduct or liability that cannot legally be excluded or indemnified.

22. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable Indian law, Pandal Sathi shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special or unforeseeable losses arising from:

• interactions between members;
• offline meetings;
• inaccurate information provided by members;
• relationship outcomes;
• conduct of another member;
• unauthorised communications;
• third-party services;
• temporary Platform interruptions.

However, nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under applicable law.

23. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

By using Pandal Sathi, you consent to receive electronic communications relating to your account and use of the Platform, including:

• account notifications;
• security alerts;
• match notifications;
• service announcements;
• transactional messages;
• payment-related communications;
• policy updates.

Electronic records may be maintained as permitted by applicable law.

The Indian Contract Act recognises electronic contractual arrangements where the applicable requirements for a valid contract are satisfied.

24. CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

Pandal Sathi may modify these Terms from time to time to reflect:

• changes in the Platform;
• changes in applicable law;
• regulatory requirements;
• security requirements;
• changes to services;
• operational requirements.

Updated Terms will be published on the Platform with a revised "Last Updated" date.

Where required by applicable law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent.

Your continued use of Pandal Sathi after the effective date of updated Terms may constitute acceptance of the revised Terms to the extent permitted by law.

25. GOVERNING LAW

These Terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of India.

Subject to applicable law, disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts/tribunals having jurisdiction over the location of the Platform's operator.

[IMPORTANT: Insert the actual legal entity name and registered office/state here before publishing.]

Do not simply write "Kolkata courts" or another location unless the company's legal structure and applicable jurisdiction have been reviewed by an Indian lawyer.

26. SEVERABILITY

If any provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable by a competent authority, that provision shall be modified or severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue to operate to the extent permitted by law.

27. WAIVER

Failure by Pandal Sathi to enforce any provision of these Terms at any particular time shall not constitute a waiver of our right to enforce that provision later.

28. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Refund/Cancellation Policy, Community Guidelines and any other policies expressly incorporated into these Terms, constitute the agreement governing your use of Pandal Sathi.

Where there is a conflict between documents, the specific policy applicable to the relevant service shall prevail to the extent stated in that policy and permitted by law.

29. CONTACT AND GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL

For account-related complaints, abuse reports, privacy concerns or other grievances, members may contact:

Pandal Sathi

Grievance Email: grievance@pandalsathi.com

Complaints should contain sufficient information to allow us to investigate the matter.

We may request additional information where necessary.

The Platform will handle grievances in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

30. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By clicking "Register", "Create Account", "I Agree", or otherwise accessing or using Pandal Sathi, you acknowledge that:

I have read and understood the Terms & Conditions and agree to comply with them. I confirm that the information provided by me is accurate to the best of my knowledge and that I am at least 18 years of age. I understand that Pandal Sathi facilitates connections between members but does not guarantee the identity, character, intentions, suitability or conduct of any member. I understand that I am responsible for exercising appropriate caution and judgment when communicating with or meeting another member.