Railways asked to pay Rs 60,000 to passenger robbed of Rs 47,200 in 2009

NEW DELHI: A district consumer forum in Delhi has ordered the Railways to pay Rs 60,000 to a passenger who alleged a thief stole almost Rs 50,000 from him during

NEW DELHI: A district consumer forum in Delhi has ordered the Railways to pay Rs 60,000 to a passenger who alleged a thief stole almost Rs 50,000 from him during an overnight trip from Patna to Delhi in the summer of 2009.

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Delhi resident Zameer Ahmed had alleged two railway guards, who were travelling in the Sampoorna Kranti Express coach, either weren’t doing their job or had connived with the thief.

The three-member forum ruled that the railway board could not invoke Section 100 of the Indian Railway Act to escape liability because they appeared to have been negligent and did not act promptly on Ahmed’s complaint.

Section 100 gives the Railways immunity from loss of any article carried by a passenger unless it was attributed to negligence or misconduct of staffers. “We, therefore... direct the OP (opposite party) to pay Rs 60,000 in lump sum towards principal amount, harassment, mental agony and litigation charges,” forum president NK Goel and members Naina Bakshi and SS Fonia said in an order last month.

The theft dates back to May 2009 when Ahmed was returning from a business trip to Patna, carrying Rs 47,200.