The Indian Railways have been asked by the apex consumer panel to pay Rs 2.01 lakh as compensation to a doctor whose luggage was stolen while she was travelling on the U.P.-Kushinagar Express in 1996.
“Undisputedly, the complainant and her daughter were travelling in a reserved coach and it was the duty of the TTE [Travelling Ticket Examiner] to ensure that no intruders entered the reserved compartment,” the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) said. “Since there was, apparently, a failure on the part of the TTE to prevent entry of unauthorised persons in the coach during the night, the fora below were right in holding the petitioner liable for deficiency in service to the respondent [doctor] in this regard,” a Bench presided by Justice Ajit Bharihoke said. The NCDRC’s order came while dismissing the Railways’ appeal against the orders of the Uttar Pradesh State Consumer Commission and the District Forum which had held the state-run enterprise responsible to compensate the complainant, Dr. Shobha Agarwal
