Chennai: A doctor and his family, who had reserved tickets on a first class AC coach on the Anantapuri express from Egmore railway station, received a rude shock when they found that the compartment was missing. They were forced to travel by second class AC.
The doctor approached the district consumer disputes redressal forum, Chennai-North, seeking a direction to southern railway to pay him a compensation of Rs 1 lakh.
The petitioner, Dr P. Jayaprakash of Red Hills, submitted that on October 1, 2012, he had obtained a ticket for himself, his wife and child in the first class AC coach to travel from Chennai to Kulithalai by the Anantapuri express. The southern railway Chennai division had issued him a confirmed ticket after collecting Rs 5,335.
When they reached the station to board the train on December 12, 2012, the compartment was not there. Nor was he informed in advance about the cancellation of the coach.
The doctor and his wife were provided two seats in second class AC at different places on the train.
After much persuasion, the TTE allotted a seat to his child only five hours after the commencement of the journey.
The petitioner contended that this amounted to an act of negligence and deficiency in service by southern railway.
Hence, he filed the petition, seeking a direction to the senior divisional commercial manager, southern railway, to pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh.
The forum served notice to the senior divisional comÂmercial manager. However, the official failed to appear before the forum and the case was called absent and set ex parte.
The bench, comprising president R. Mohandoss, and members A. Dayalan and T. Kalaiyarasi, directed the senior divisional commercial manager to refund the difference between the fares for first and second class AC and pay a compensation of Rs 12,000 to the complainant in six weeks’ time.
