Patna: A district consumer court in Bihar has held Indian Railways responsible for the theft of a passenger’s bag from an air-conditioned coach, ordering compensation of Rs 1.25 lakh after an eight-year legal battle.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruled that the theft of luggage from a reserved coach amounted to a deficiency in service and negligence on the part of the Railways. It directed the authorities to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to the complainant within 60 days, along with Rs 25,000 towards litigation costs, and to return two mobile phones recovered during the investigation.
The complaint was filed in 2018 by Sadhana Devi, a resident of Madhepura, who said her bag was stolen while she and her husband were travelling in an AC-3 tier coach of the Lokmanya Tilak Express on July 12, 2017. They had boarded the train at Patliputra station. The theft took place near Jabalpur, when an unidentified person allegedly took the bag and fled.
According to the complaint, the bag contained essential documents including a passport, Aadhaar and PAN cards, an ATM card, cash, a gold locket and three mobile phones. A case was registered with the railway police, who arrested three suspects in 2019 and recovered two of the phones. The remaining items were not found.
Devi argued before the commission that the incident occurred due to inadequate security in the reserved coach. The Railways contested the claim, stating that arrests had been made and that there was insufficient proof regarding the missing items.
After hearing both sides, the commission concluded that ensuring passenger safety in reserved coaches was the responsibility of the Railways, and that there had been a clear lapse in this case.
The order states that failure to comply within the stipulated time would allow the complainant to initiate execution proceedings.
The ruling highlights the scope of the Consumer Protection Act in holding public service providers accountable for lapses, and reinforces passengers’ rights to seek compensation for both financial loss and mental distress arising from such incidents.
