Bhopal: After 11 years, Consumer Forum says case out of its jurisdiction

Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Eleven long years, that’s what the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum took for realizing that a claim petition submitted with it was actually out of its jurisdiction. The forum rejected the claim petition of a Railway passenger suggesting him to knock on the door of the Railway tribunal for compensation for the robbery onboard.    

The forum said the Section 123(c) of The Railways Act, 1989 states that theft or loot are ‘untoward incident’ and for compensation, the passengers should approach Railway claim tribunal instead of Consumer Forum.

According to Forum order, the petitioner had booked a 2 ticket from Bhopal to Jammu in Malwa Express on June 13, 2011. As the ticket was not confirmed, TTE had allotted two berths 9 and 10 to the two passengers.

During the journey, a miscreant had snatched the woman passenger’s purse. On their complaint, police had lodged a FIR under section 392 of IPC .

Advocate Rajiv Jain, who appeared on behalf of WCR, said, “The Railway is responsible only for booked language in case of theft, loot or in case there is any negligence on part of Railway employees.” The forum instructed the petitioner to approach Railway claim tribunal as police has registered the case of robbery under Section 392 of IPC.”