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Journalism of Courage
The apex consumer forum has ordered a Dutch airliner to pay Rs 50,000 to a senior Indian citizen for putting him to “a series of hassles” during his flight to Seattle from Delhi in 2006.
While flying with KLM Airlines,D K Kapur had to stay in a Delhi hotel during delayed hours of flight. Then his baggage was misplaced at Detroit and later he was put in a low-cost airliner for onward journey from there.
The National Consumer Dispute Redressal Grievance Commission (NCDRC) ordered payment of compensation to Kapur,finding the airlines guilty of rendering deficient service and putting him to physical and mental strain.
The NCDRC gave the ruling upholding two concurrent rulings by two lower fora holding the Dutch airlines guilty of rendering deficient service.
“In my view,finding of the district consumer forum on respondent airline’s deficiency in service in respect of the missing baggage piece of the petitioner at Detroit and finally,Seattle is entirely justified,” NCDRC member Anupam Dasgupta said in her ruling.
Kapur had sought enhancement of the compensation awarded by the two lower foras.
He alleged that the airlines put him and other passengers at Hotel Grand in Vasant Kunj after cancellation of the flight. The stay at the hotel proved to be miserable owing to the shabby treatment given to passengers there,he claimed.
According to Kapur,he found that his baggage was missing at Detroit from where they had to take a connecting flight to Seattle.
That caused him further mental agony as he had to fly to Seattle without his baggage,which could be retrieved only hours after he could reach his final destination.
