The state consumer commission has asked the Indian Railways to pay Rs 75,000 to a man for the inconvenience he suffered when his reserved seat was occupied by some unauthorised people for most part of his journey.
According to a PTI report, the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) upheld the district forum’s order which had asked the Indian Railways to deduct one third of the compensation from the salary of the ticket checker who apparently failed to ensure that the reserved seat was used by its rightful occupant.
“The compensation of Rs 75,000 awarded by the district forum is reasonable and appropriate. The same has been awarded by considering the facts and circumstances of the case,” the bench headed by its president justice Veena Birbal said.
The commission, however, refused to enhance the compensation awarded to Delhi resident V Vijay Kumar.
Kumar, in his complaint, said that when he travelled by Dakshin Express on March 30, 2013 from Visakhapatnam to New Delhi, his reserved seat was occupied by someone else. Kumar, who claims to be suffering from knee-joint pain, had booked a lower berth. At Bina station in Madhya Pradesh, several people allegedly boarded the compartment and occupied Kumar’s seat.
Kumar also complained that they had created a nuisance, causing inconvenience to other passengers too. When he tried to complain to ticket checker or any railway official, he claimed he could not find any authority.
The district forum passed the order after the railways failed to appear before it saying it was guilty of deficient service.
–With PTI inputs
