Justice even eludes Kerala High Court judge

Even a judge of the Kerala High Court is awaiting justice as his case continues to be pending before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ernakulam.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, the son of former Supreme Court Judge KT Thomas, had filed a case before the consumer commission in 2018, two years before he was sworn in as a judge.

The case of the 54-year-old judge was against Qatar Airways when he and his friends booked tickets for Scotland several months in advance but were offloaded at a stopover in Qatar on the plea that the flight to Edinburgh was overbooked.

The fliers were provided hotel accommodation, a voucher for $ 250 and put on a flight to Edinburgh the next day.

On returning, Thomas sent a legal notice to Qatar Airways claiming compensation but did not receive any reply. Later, he approached the Ernakulam district commission seeking compensation of Rs 10 lakh. The consumer court allowed the application of Justice Thomas on December 30, 2022.

The airline company filed a review petition against this order. However, it was dismissed and the matter stands posted for further consideration on March 1, 2023, nearly five years after the incident.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, mandates that all cases must be disposed of within five months, justice rarely comes on time.

Published on: Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 11:42 PM IST