Seraikela-Kharsawan, Sept 22: A district consumer commission in Jharkhand has directed South Eastern Railway to pay ₹35,000 to a passenger after his train reached Sambalpur nearly nine hours behind schedule.The order was passed by the Seraikela-Kharsawan District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on September 2 in a complaint filed by passenger Sanjay Kumar.
Kumar had booked two sleeper-class tickets on the Ispat Express for travel from Tatanagar in Jamshedpur to Sambalpur in September 2024. According to the commission’s findings, the train arrived at Sambalpur 8 hours and 48 minutes late.
The passenger told the commission that the prolonged delay caused him physical inconvenience, mental harassment and financial difficulties.
After examining the case, the commission held that the circumstances established by the complainant amounted to a deficiency in service under consumer law.The commission rejected objections raised by the Railways regarding its jurisdiction, the inclusion of necessary parties and the absence of documents establishing a specific amount of financial loss.
The panel observed that the passenger had produced sufficient evidence regarding the inconvenience and harassment caused by the prolonged delay.
The commission awarded ₹30,000 as compensation for harassment and an additional ₹5,000 towards litigation expenses, bringing the total amount payable to ₹35,000.
South Eastern Railway has been directed to make the payment within 45 days from the date of the order. In case of non-compliance, the amount will attract 12 per cent annual interest from the date of the order until payment, besides being recoverable through the prescribed legal process.
The case highlights the option available to railway passengers to approach consumer dispute forums when they believe they have suffered due to inadequate service.
However, compensation is not automatic in every case of train delay and depends on the circumstances and evidence presented before the relevant forum.
