Misplacement of Boarding Bag, Putting Customer To Mental Agony Attracts Indigo Airlines ₹80,000 Fine from Baramulla Consumer Court

Srinagar: District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Baramulla on Wednesday indicted Indigo Airlines for misplacement of boarding bag besides putting the customer to mental agony, levied on the erring air-service provider rupees eighty-thousand fine.

As learnt by Alfaaz-The Words, the dedicated court had been approached by a complainant, a Doctor by profession, who had on 12-06-2023 seeking an amount of Rupees 70,000 as compensation for deficiency of service and mental agony and in the meantime also seeking an amount of Rupees 10,000 as litigation charges.

The Baramulla resident complainant had maintained in his complaint that he, alongside his family, intended to undertake a journey in the last week of 2023, in order to attend EPICON Conference at Ahmedabad.

The complainant contended that he, alongside his family, reached Chandigarh through Amritsar on January 30, 2023, whilst cancelling flights back in Kashmir due to snowfall. Once went to collect the luggage, the complainant was given with only three instead of four, and informed that the other (luggage) was stuck at Ahmedabad airport, due to security reasons – which was eventually received by the complainant at a later stage.

Provided with a return ticket, the Complainant was dodged by the airline on multiple occasions, causing him and his family mental agony, even as he seeking refund was provided only half of the amount paid. The booking of another ticket from a separate airline cost him more than rupees 37,500, while staying during the period cost him rupees 20,000.

Adjudicating the matter, the Coram led by Peerzada Qousar Hussain, with Nyla Yaseen as member, observed that, “Perusal of the records placed on the file reflects that one luggage of the complainant was misplaced. Undisputedly, the same was received by the complainant at the latter stage. However, the same luggage was handled by the staff of the O.P and they cannot shrug off the due responsibility in the matter. Besides, the complainant suffered considerable financial loss and was subjected to severe stress and mental agony.”

“Therefore, the Commission is of the considered view that the Airlines must impose conditions on the eventuality of cancellation of tickets rather than indiscriminately allowing overbooking of flights which may otherwise lead to the indulgence into unfair trade practice,” the Coram observed.

“Therefore, the complaint of the complainant is allowed and disposed of with the following directions: The O.P is directed to pay an amount of Rs. 70,000/-(Seventy thousand rupees only) to the complainant as compensation within a period of four weeks for putting the complainant into mental harassment and agony; To pay an amount of Rs.10,000/-(Ten thousand Rupees only) to the complainant as litigation charges,” the Coram ordered.