BENGALURU: An octogenarian had to struggle for six years and go through 25 adjournments at three consumer courts till he was compensated for bad service by a travel company. Eighty-two-year-old Padmanabha finally received a compensation of Rs 2.1 lakh from the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) on October 20, 2018, six years after he filed a case at the District Consumer Court against Kesari Travels, a firm that organises holiday packages.
Arkalgud, a resident of Bengaluru, went on a trip through Kesari Travels to African countries in 2012. He had made an additional payment of Rs 54,564 to include extra facilities, which included a seat at the front of the touring bus on non-asphalted roads, and to be accorded the status of a ‘very important customer.’ However, Arkalgud was not provided with a seat at the front of the vehicle on several occasions. As he travelled on rough roads while sitting on relatively uncomfortable back seats, Arkalgud suffered injuries to his tailbone and needed treatment on his return to Bengaluru.
“I still have to use an inflated ring cushion, which is an embarrassment,” he said. During the trip, he was also allotted a room on the upper floors at a hotel which did not have an elevator, although rooms on the ground floor were available.
“After the trip, I wrote a detailed complaint to the MD of Kesari Travels, but it elicited no response. I then filed a complaint at the District Consumer Court,” he said. After two years, Arkalgud’s case was dismissed by the judge, and he then filed an appeal at the State Consumer Forum, where he won the case. Kesari Travels then approached a third forum, the NCDRC, where again the verdict was delivered in Arkalgud’s favour in July 2018. However, his wait was not yet over, with the delay this time stemming from the NCDRC itself. The compensation amount, which had been deposited with the body by the travel firm, was not sent to Arkalgud.
“I sent six reminders to the commission and on getting no response, wrote to the judge who had presided over the case. After not getting a response again, I wrote to the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRCI), and seven days later, I received the money,” Arkalgud said. Arkalgud wants more people to become aware that consumers can legally assert their rights even if the process is long-drawn. Last year, he had pursued BBMP officials for three months to get a khata certificate without any bribe.