JetLite airliner has been asked by a city district consumer forum to pay Rs 40,000 to one of its passengers for rendering his luggage untraceable for five days.
Formerly known as Air Sahara, JetLite was asked to pay the amount to Delhi resident and complainant Rajesh Kumar by New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, for misplacing his baggage and forcing him to buy items during his brief outstation stay in Mumbai.
“We have considered the matter. The deficiency to the extent of loss of bag at Bombay is proved. The inconvenience, mental tension and agony for five days can be imagined.
“We allow a sum of Rs 15,000 towards purchase made in Bombay for 3–4 days. For harassment, loss of bag, mental agony and litigation expenses, we award Rs 25,000. The opposite party (JetLite) is directed to pay this amount to complainant within 30 days,” said forum’s President C K Chaturvedi.
Kumar in his complaint had said he had checked-in his luggage with the airlines when he had boarded the JetLite flight in June 2007 from Delhi but on reaching Bombay he found his bag missing and he had to lodge complaint for it with the relevant authorities.
Kumar said his bag was returned to him five days after returning from Bombay, but on checking it he found that Rs 25,000 in cash and a camera were missing from it.
While awarding the compensation, the bench, however, said he “himself was to be blamed for the loss of cash and camera, as valuables are not to be kept in the luggage”.
