BENGALURU: The South Western Railway (SWR) and IRCTC have been directed to pay Rs 30,000 compensation with Rs 10,000 litigation expenses by the consumer commission to a resident of Bengaluru for making his septuagenarian parents pay a penalty for travelling though confirmed tickets were booked.
Allowing partly the complaint filed by Alok Kumar, residing at Whitefield in Bengaluru, the Third Additional Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission said that the Chief Booking Officer, IR (SBC), SWR, and IRCTC, Bengaluru severally liable to pay a sum of Rs 22,300, the penalty collected, along with 9 per cent interest per annum from March 21, 2022, and a sum of Rs 30,000 as compensation towards mental agony and a sum of Rs 10,000 towards litigation cost to the complainant.
"We feel the hacking of the website might have been done either on the website of IRCTC or SWR. Further, the complainant's parents were put in trouble and made to pay a penalty to travel. It is the SWR and IRCTC to keep their website updated without being hacked by anyone. Admittedly while booking the ticket, the confirmed tickets were issued by IRCTC. Therefore, it is not forthcoming as to how the confirmed ticket became invalid. Hence, we feel there is a deficiency of service on the part of them", said the commission comprising president Shivarama K, Members Chandrashekar S Noola and Rekha Sayannavar.
The complainant had booked a confirmed ticket via IRCTC for his parents on March 15, 2022, for the journey on May 21 by paying Rs 6,995. On the said day, the parents boarded the Rajdhani Express from New Delhi Junction to Barauni Junction (BJU). Then some other passengers claimed the same seat numbers which were booked by the complainant. After checking the traveller list, the TTE informed the complainant's parents that the PNR number was correct but the current status of the ticket shows "No Room". Hence, they either leave the train or pay a penalty.
Without any option, the parents had paid Rs 22,300 for the same journey for which the complainant paid Rs 6,995. On the same day, the complainant reported the issue to the railway authorities and refused to refund the amount, saying that they were not responsible for the refund as the complainant's parents had an invalid ticket.
The IRCTC refused to refund the money, contending that it only provides access to the Railway Passenger Reservation System through its server and internet connectivity to book tickets.
The complainant, however, contended that the Indian Railway Reservation System was hacked and the confirmed ticket was sold to another passenger. The IRCTC has acted as a dummy stating refund must be given by Indian railways. Since the ticket was booked through IRCTC, it is also responsible for the refund, he argued.