EKTA JHA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The complainant/petitioner travelled from Secundrabad to New Delhi on 12.6.2012 in Train No.14005, Andhra Pradesh Express. The bag of the complainant who was travelling in a reserved Compartment was stolen during the course of the journey. The case of the complainant is that some local passengers, having general tickets had boarded the coach in which she was travelling but no objection to their boarding the said train was raised by TTE. The complainant suspected that her bag had been stolen by one of the passengers travelling against unreserved tickets. She therefore, made a complaint to the TTE and then also lodged a FIR at police station Anand Vihar Railway station. According to the complainant, the stolen bag included one Digital camera, one gents watch, one ladies watch, one mobile phone, two gold earring, one pearl set, one Swiss ladies watch, cash amounting to Rs.6,500/-, mobile charger and specs. The value of the stolen bag was stated to be Rs.7,500/-. She therefore approached the concerned District Forum by way of a complaint, seeking compensation from the respondent Union of India.

(2.) The complaint was resisted by the respondent on several grounds, including that the District Forum did not have territorial jurisdiction to entertain the complaint. It was also stated in the reply that the respondent could not be held responsible for the theft of the bag of the complainant.

(3.) The District Forum vide its order dated 17.12.2014, directed the respondents to pay a sum of Rs.5,000/- as compensation inclusive of litigation expenses to the complainant. Being aggrieved from the order of the District Forum, the complainant approached the concerned State Commission by way of an appeal. The said appeal having been dismissed vide impugned order dated 05.10.2015, the petitioner is before us by way of this revision petition.