Consumer Court Holds Indian Railways Liable for Denying Reserved Seats

Consumer Court Ruling Against Indian Railways

A consumer court has found Indian Railways accountable for failing to provide reserved seats to passengers. The Bhojpur Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission ordered the railway to compensate four passengers with ₹20,000, who had to stand throughout their journey. According to reports, the complaint arose when these passengers traveling on the LTT Patna Express from Vindhyachal (Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh) to Ara (Bhojpur, Bihar) discovered that railway staff were occupying their reserved seats upon boarding the train.

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The complaint stated that the passengers requested the staff to vacate their reserved seats, but their requests were ignored. The bench, led by Krishna Pratap Singh (Chairman) and Kamal Kishore Singh (Member), concluded that the passengers experienced "mental, physical, and financial harassment" due to deficiencies in railway services. The bench instructed the North Central Railway and the Ministry of Railways to refund the booking amount of ₹1,876.80 along with 8% annual interest, and to pay ₹20,000 as compensation and ₹15,000 for legal expenses within 60 days.

Furthermore, the commission noted that if the payment was not made within the stipulated time, the complainants would be entitled to recover the amount along with 10% annual interest through legal means. According to the complaint, the passengers had previously attempted to lodge their grievances through the railway helpline and social media platforms, including the Ministry of Railways. However, despite receiving a complaint reference number via SMS, they alleged that no substantial action was taken during their journey.

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The passengers also mentioned that when a TTE (Train Ticket Examiner) appeared at Buxar station, they raised the issue again, but were reportedly told to manage due to the heavy crowd on the train. In response, the railway argued that disputes related to law and order fall under the jurisdiction of the Government Railway Police (GRP), not railway administration. Reports indicate that the railway denied any service deficiencies and claimed that appropriate action had already been taken regarding the complaint.