Travel firm told to pay Rs 38,000 damages for 'efficient service'

A groom's party arriving at the wedding venue on bikes, scooter and cycles may sound like a scene from a Bollywood movie to most but not to PP Singh.

A groom's party arriving at the wedding venue on bikes, scooter and cycles may sound like a scene from a Bollywood movie to most but not to PP Singh.

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A Mahavir Enclave resident, Singh has won a R38,000 compensation from a travel agency that failed to provide him with a bus for his son's wedding party at the last minute on February 16, 2010. As a result, most of the party had to use two-wheelers to reach the venue that was 20 km away in Sampla, Haryana.

With marriage season at its peak, no other buses were available at short notice. All Singh could manage were two RTVs for which he paid Rs 19,500 (Rs 7,000 more than what he paid for the bus) and even those could not accommodate all his relatives. Some were forced to cycle all the way to the venue.

"My brother, the bridegroom, Chander Prakash left for his wedding on a bike and later managed to find a friend's car," said Harinder Kumar.

Singh moved court against Lucky Travel Service that had promised the bus after he paid Rs 12,500 for it.

Singh's lawyer GL Agarwal argued that it was a clear case of "deficiency of service".

Judges MC Mehra and Vinay Singh ordered the travel company to pay a compensation of Rs 38,000 to Singh.

"The travel service shall pay the compensation for causing mental agony, harassment and sheer suffering," ruled the bench.

Noting that the bus operator did not appear in court despite repeated summons, the court said, "The evidence of the complainant goes unchallenged and there is no reason to disbelieve the evidence furnished by him."