In a significant ruling, a consumer court has held Indian Railways accountable for failing to honour confirmed reservations, directing the national carrier to pay substantial compensation to affected travellers.
The Bhojpur Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled in favour of four passengers who were denied their reserved seats on the LTT Patna Express despite holding confirmed tickets. The passengers, travelling from Vindhyachal in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, to Ara in Bhojpur, Bihar, discovered upon boarding that their berths were occupied by railway staff. Efforts to reclaim their seats were unsuccessful, forcing them to stand for the entire journey.
According to a report by *Bar and Bench*, the passengers endured considerable hardship during the trip. The commission, comprising president Krishna Pratap Singh and member Kamal Kishore Singh, determined that the incident amounted to a deficiency in service by the railways, resulting in “mental, physical, and economic harassment” for the travellers.
The court has ordered North Central Railway and the Ministry of Railways to refund the ticket amount of Rs 1,876.80 along with 8 percent annual interest. Additionally, the railways must pay Rs 20,000 as compensation for the inconvenience and Rs 15,000 towards litigation costs. The total payment is to be made within 60 days. Failure to comply will attract a higher interest rate of 10 percent per annum, recoverable through legal means.
The passengers had made prior attempts to resolve the issue by contacting the railway helpline and using social media platforms such as Railway Seva and the Rail Ministry. Although they received a complaint reference via SMS, no immediate action was taken on board. When a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) was approached at Buxar station, the passengers were reportedly advised to “manage” due to heavy rush on the train.
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During the proceedings, Indian Railways contended that the matter pertained to law and order and fell under the purview of the Government Railway Police (GRP) rather than railway administration. The authorities also denied any service deficiency, claiming appropriate action had been initiated on the complaint.
However, after examining the submitted evidence including tickets, complaint records, text messages, and photographs—the commission concluded that the passengers were indeed denied their confirmed berths, validating their claim of harassment due to the railways’ failure to deliver the promised service.
This order underscores the growing judicial emphasis on passenger rights and accountability within the Indian Railways network.
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