For changing seat, Railways to pay retired High Court judge Rs 60,000

The commission’s order came on an appeal filed by the general managers of the Northern and North-Central Railways, and the Railway Ministry.

OBSERVING deficiency in service, the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission upheld an order directing the Railways to pay Rs 60,000 as compensation to a retired High Court judge for causing him and his family “harassment” and “physical discomfort” by changing their seats.

The bench of Justices Veena Birbal and Salma Noor held the Railways responsible for re-arranging the already reserved seats of retired Justice Dilip Raosaheb Deshmukh and his family without any intimation.

Watch what else is making news

“In our view, berths of the respondents/complainants were re-arranged and clubbed together without the knowledge and prior intimation of the respondents/complainants which led to harassment and physical discomfort. This is a fit case of deficiency of service,” observed the bench in a recent order.

Story continues below this ad

The Railways had asserted that considering his “VIP” status, it had re-arranged and clubbed the seats for the family’s convenience. Therefore, it contended, there was no deficiency in service.

The commission’s order came on an appeal filed by the general managers of the Northern and North-Central Railways, and the Railway Ministry.

Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan is Head-Legal Project, Indian Express digital and is based in New Delhi. Before joining Indianexpress.com, he worked with Press Trust of India as News Editor, editing legal stories from the Supreme Court and various High Courts. He also worked as an Associate Editor with Bar and Bench, where he led long-form storytelling, ran series on crucial and interesting legal issues, conducted exclusive interviews and wrote deep-dive stories. He has worked for the Indian Express print between 2013 and 2016, when he covered law in Mumbai and Delhi. Aamir holds an LLB degree, PG Diploma in Journalism (New Media) and a Bachelor's in Life Sciences and Chemistry. You can reach him at: aamir.khan@indianexpress.com. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram