UNION OF INDIA & ORS Vs. CHANDAN SAHA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The conveyance charges, in terms of our last order, have been paid today to the complainant. We have heard the learned counsel for the petitioner as well as the complainant, who appears in person.

(2.) The complainant / respondent booked two confirmed tickets in Chair Car on train No.2314 Sealdah Rajdhani Express for travelling from New Delhi to Sealdah on 20.10.2006.

(3.) Eastern Railways gave advertisement in the newspapers on 22.8.2006, notifying withdrawing chair car from Sealdah Express with effect from 23.8.2006. It was further stated in the notice published in the newspapers that the passengers who had booked their tickets in AC-Chair Car will get full refund and they could book afresh. According to the complainant, despite withdrawal of the AC Chair Car from Sealdah Express, the status of his booking on the website of IRCTC showed the tickets to be confirmed, till a few hours before the scheduled date and time of departure. This is also the case of the complainant that he could not get tickets in other train for travelling from New Delhi to Sealdah by train on 20.10.2006. The complaint sent an email to care@irctc.co.in on 09.10.2006, seeking confirmation of the status of the tickets booked by him. The aforesaid email address has been provided by IRCTC to all the passengers who book tickets through them. No reply to the aforesaid email was received by the complainant. According to him, when he reached New Delhi Station on 20.10.2006, he found no Chair Car Coach in Sealdah Rajdhani Express, which was to leave New Delhi Railway Station. Only on that day he could know from the Train Manager that no one with a chair car ticket would be allowed to board the train. The train having left, without taking the complainant and his co-passengers, he had to arrange two air tickets on Jet Airways flight from Delhi to Kolkata, spending a sum of Rs.13,600/-. He therefore, approached the District Forum by way of a complaint, seeking the amount, which he had incurred on purchase of air tickets, along with compensation and interest.