IRCTC ordered to pay Rs. 15,000 to Hyderabad passenger for last-minute cancellations

HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Hyderabad instructed the India Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to pay a compensation of Rs. 15,000 for significant mental agony, physical trauma, and inconvenience caused to a distressed Hyderabad passenger.

Khursheed Begum (30), a resident of Mehdipatnam, diligently booked four tickets through an online app on IRCTC on January 10, 2021. The tickets were secured for the Howrah Special Train from Secunderabad to Vizianagaram, scheduled for travel on January 13, 2021. She received confirmation via email that the said tickets had been successfully booked.

She paid an amount of Rs. 6,470 towards the ticket costs and confirmed the same with PNR No. 4408147141 on January 13, 2021, reserving three seats in the second A.C. compartment of the designated train.

The departure time of Train No. 02704 from Secunderabad Railway Station was 4:55 PM. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, passengers were advised to arrive one hour prior to departure. Khursheed Begum commenced her journey from her residence at 2:45 PM, accompanied by her sister and brother, carrying eight luggage bags, and possessing four confirmed tickets. They engaged a taxi from Mehdipatnam to Secunderabad for transportation.

While Khursheed Begum and her family members awaited the train's arrival at the railway station from 2:47 PM, she received an electronic notification, causing her utter shock just one hour before the train's departure, stating that the tickets she had booked had been inexplicably cancelled.

Despite making numerous attempts to contact the customer care center for clarification before the journey, there was no satisfactory response from the authorities. Given that January 13, 2021, coincided with the Sankranthi festival, and all transportation options were fully booked, the complainant and her family were left in dismay.

Ultimately, the complainant and her family had to undertake the journey to Vizianagaram via an ordinary bus, incurring substantial additional expenses. The complainant had not received the refunded ticket costs of Rs. 6,470, and the family resorted to traveling in a private bus and incurred additional expenses of Rs. 4,589, as the tickets were cancelled just one hour prior to departure without valid explanation.

Despite multiple appeals to IRCTC for a refund of the cancelled ticket amount, they refunded the sum while unjustly deducting a portion. This resulted in significant financial losses and mental anguish for Khursheed Begum, attributable to IRCTC's unethical conduct, rendering them liable for their deficient services and unfair trade practices.

Khursheed Begum sought relief through the consumer forum, and notices were duly served to IRCTC. However, they failed to appear on their behalf, resulting in a default judgment on March 25, 2021.

The court observed that the Khursheed Begum had received confirmation of the tickets via email on January 10, 2021, and had paid Rs. 6,470 for four tickets, for her family's travel from Secunderabad to Vizianagaram.

The court further noted that she sought a refund of Rs. 470 from IRCTC for the abrupt cancellation of confirmed tickets just one hour prior to the train's departure, while they were waiting at Secunderabad Railway Station. The court affirmed that IRCTC's sudden cancellation constituted a deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, causing immense suffering and inconvenience to Khursheed Begum and her family, who were compelled to book a private bus at a peak hour at an additional cost of Rs. 4,589.60.

The court concluded that IRCTC's abrupt cancellation of tickets had caused significant trouble, mental anguish, and inconvenience to Khursheed Begum and her family, constituting clear instances of deficiency and unfair trade practices, for which IRCTC was held liable.

Due to IRCTC's failure to justify the sudden cancellation of confirmed tickets and deducting Rs. 470 without explanation from the refund of Rs. 6,000 issued on January 15, 2021, the court found it fair to grant substantial compensation to Khursheed Begum for the endured inconvenience and hardship.

Therefore, the court directed IRCTC to refund Rs. 470 to Khursheed Begum

with nine percent interest per annum from January 13, 2021, until realisation. The court also asked to pay Rs. 15,000 compensation for mental agony, physical trauma, and inconvenience caused to her and her family, and pay Rs. 5,000 towards the costs of litigation.