Notice to Jet Airways for offloading Kuldip Nayar

Jet Airways has been asked by the Delhi Consumer Commission to explain why compensation should not be given to noted columnist Kuldip Nayar, who was allegedly prevented from boarding a flight from Amritsar to Delhi.

Jet Airways has been asked by the Delhi Consumer Commission to explain why compensation should not be given to noted columnist Kuldip Nayar, who was allegedly prevented from boarding a flight from Amritsar to Delhi.

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Commission President Justice JD Kapoor has issued notice to the airlines on Nayar's plea seeking compensation of Rs 75 lakh for deficiency in its services which caused him great inconvenience while he was returning from Lahore to Delhi.

"The facts as disclosed in his complaint prima facie make out a very sad case showing not only the grossest kind of deficiency in service but the conduct of airlines that has caused immense mental agony, emotional suffering, harassment and other injustices," Justice Kapoor said.

The Commission asked the airline to file its response by August 18 when the matter would be taken up for further hearing.

The journalist, who is also a former Rajya Sabha member, had booked a seat in the flight from Amritsar to Delhi while he was returning from Lahore on March 9.

When he was waiting for the flight in the lounge in Amritsar airport, he was asked to show his boarding card to check the number on a computer and was issued a fresh card. But when he reached the security check, he was shocked to know that the flight for which the boarding card was issued had already left.

"Even after valid boarding card, he was not allowed to travel under the misnomer of mistake, which, in reality, was done to accommodate another passenger," Nayar's petition said.