The Bhojpur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has recently issued a directive to the Indian Railways, mandating a compensation payment of ₹20,000 to passengers who were compelled to stand during their journey despite possessing confirmed train tickets. This ruling followed a complaint by Ravi Shanker Pandey against the North Central Railway and others, highlighting a significant oversight in passenger service.
The incident involved four passengers traveling from Vindhyachal to Ara on the LTT Patna Express, who discovered upon boarding that their reserved seats were occupied by other individuals. The case was adjudicated by a bench comprising Krishna Pratap Singh (President) and Kamal Kishore Singh (Member), who concluded that the passengers experienced undue “mental, physical, and economic harassment” because the Railways failed to ensure their reserved berths were available.
In the Commission’s statement, it was noted, “The complainant, along with the other passengers, attempted to resolve the issue through various channels, yet they were unable to claim their seats in the B4 coach of Train no. 13202 LTT Patna Exp. It is evident that the passengers endured significant distress, indicating a clear deficiency of service by North Central Railway and the Ministry of Railways.”
The Commission thus ordered the North Central Railway and the Ministry of Railways to refund the booking amount of ₹1,876.80 with an 8% annual interest rate and to pay ₹20,000 as compensation in addition to ₹15,000 towards litigation expenses. These payments must be made within a 60-day timeframe.
According to the passengers, upon boarding the train, which was delayed by approximately an hour, they found their seats occupied by individuals claiming to be railway employees. Despite their efforts to reclaim their seats and requests for assistance from railway officials, they were forced to stand for the entirety of their journey. Complaints lodged through the Railway Seva and Rail Min services were reportedly unaddressed, prompting the complainants to approach the Commission for redressal.
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In response to the complaint, the North Central Railway and the Ministry of Railways challenged the case’s legitimacy, arguing that the issue pertained to law enforcement, thus falling under the jurisdiction of the Government Railway Police rather than railway authorities. They asserted that there was no deficiency in service and claimed that actions had been initiated based on the complaint.
However, after evaluating the evidence presented, the Commission determined that the complainants had indeed suffered harassment due to the Railways’ service failure. Consequently, the Commission ruled in favor of the complainants, obligating the Railways to comply with the compensation directive.
Furthermore, the Commission stipulated that if the payment was not made within the designated period, the complainants would be entitled to an increased interest rate of 10% per annum. The complainants were represented by Advocate VN Sachchu, while Advocate Sanjay Kumar appeared for the North Central Railway and the Ministry of Railways. Advocate Pratima Singh represented East Central Railway.
