E-Paper
SCDRC penalises pvt airline for forcing passenger off plane
Of the total fine, ₹35 lakh was awarded as compensation, ₹50 lakh for causing mental agony and ₹50,000 as expenses of the case along with interest.
The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has imposed a fine of ₹85.5 lakh on IndiGo Airlines. The penalty was imposed by SCDRC member Rajendra Singh on the complaint of poor services and misbehavior made by Vinay Shankar Tewari, a contractor and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA from Chillupar assembly constituency of Gorakhpur.
Of the total fine, ₹35 lakh was awarded as compensation, ₹50 lakh for causing mental agony and ₹50,000 as expenses of the case along with interest.
Tewari, had booked a ticket from Lucknow to New Delhi on IndiGo flight number 6 E -141 on April 15, 2013, from an online air ticket booking portal.
Tewari’s flight from Amausi airport in Lucknow was scheduled at 10.50am. He reached the airport and boarded the flight but just before the takeoff, the cabin crew reportedly informed Tewari that his ticket had been cancelled. In his complaint Tewari said he was forcibly removed from his allotted seat 5A.
Tewari was told by the online booking portal that his ticket was valid even though IndiGo authorities informed him that that his ticket was cancelled by one Shailendra at around 7.38am, hours before the scheduled take off.
During proceedings of the case, the SCDRC held that even if the ticket was presumed to be cancelled then why did the airlines allow Tewari to board the flight.
The Commission also asked why the airlines failed to share screenshot of the message with Tewari conveying cancellation of the ticket and pointed out that the airlines also failed to submit the mobile number before the court from which the ticket was allegedly cancelled.
In its order, the SCDRC held that the airlines indulged in unfair trade practice, caused mental agony and financial loss to Tewari, who is a contractor and was going to New Delhi for a meeting.
