BHOPAL : Ruling that safety of the luggage of passengers was the responsibility of the Coach Attendant and the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE), the District Consumer Forum has held the Railway liable for a theft on a train and instructed it to compensate the passenger whose luggage was stolen.
Gauri Singh of Shivaji Nagar had lodged a case with District Consumer Forum after her suitcase was stolen from Bhopal-Howrah Express. She was going to Phusro (Jharkhand) on April 14, 2010 and was occupying berth number 68 in Coach S-5. In her petition, she said that when she got up at Barkakana Railway station (Jharkhand), she found her suitcase missing.
She was carrying Rs 80,000 in cash and jewellery in the suitcase. She reported the matter to GRP, Barkakana. The Consumer Forum, holding the Railway responsible for the theft, directed it to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation to the petitioner along with interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum from June 30, 2010. Advocate EA Qureshi pleaded on behalf of Gauri Singh. As per the order, coach attendants should prevent the entry of unauthorised persons into the coach, check the tickets of passengers in the absence of TTE and lock the compartment securely when train is in motion and vestibule doors at night.
Similarly, for TTE, the forum said that TTE shall check the travel authority of passengers in the coach, guide them to their berths/seats and also prevent unauthorised persons from traveling in the coach. They should pay prompt attention to all complaints from passengers in regard to non-working of lights, fans, taps, etc.
and take remedial action to get them rectified, ensure cleanliness of coach and ensure doors of coaches are kept closed when the train is moving.
