Patna: A district consumer commission in Patna has directed Indian Railways to pay more than Rs 12,000 to a passenger who was denied a refund after losing his paper ticket. The decision came nearly 10 years after the complaint was filed, with the commission ruling that refusing a refund solely because the original ticket was lost amounts to a deficiency in service.
The order was issued by the Patna District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Consumer Case No. 125/2014. The bench, headed by president Prem Ranjan Mishra and member Rajnish Kumar, observed that the railways maintain detailed records of tickets issued at reservation counters. Therefore, denying a legitimate refund claim only due to the absence of the physical ticket was not justified.
The case was filed by Shambhu Nath, a resident of the Kankarbagh area of Patna. Nath had purchased a railway ticket from Delhi to Patna from a reservation counter. However, the ticket remained on the waiting list and was never confirmed, which meant he could not undertake the journey.
During this period, the original paper ticket was reportedly lost. When Nath approached railway officials seeking a refund of the fare, authorities rejected the request, stating that the ticket was required to process the claim. Nath said he had informed the railways about the loss and sought clarification, but received no clear response.
Following the complaint, the commission concluded that the passenger had legally purchased the ticket and had not travelled on it. The panel ordered the railways to refund the ticket amount of Rs 2,398 along with 6% annual interest calculated from March 28, 2014.
In addition to the refund and interest, the commission also awarded Rs 5,000 as compensation for mental distress and another Rs 5,000 to cover litigation expenses. The railways have been directed to complete the payment to the complainant within 120 days of the order.
