A consumer forum has directed by the central government to pay Rs 1.1 lakh to a couple as compensation for alleged misbehaviour by RPF officials at the entry gate of New Delhi Railway Station.
The Central District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum observed that the Ministry of Railways was responsible for the acts of its employees, who had allegedly misbehaved with the wife of a Delhi-based lawyer when they were entering the station in June, 2006.
“The opposite parties 2 to 4 being employees of RPF should have treated the passengers decently. They did not do so and rather misbehaved with the lady/complainant 2. The Union of India/opposite party 1 is responsible for the acts of its employees i.E. Opposite parties 2 to 4.
“We allow the complaint with the direction to pay to the complainants a sum of Rs 1,00,000 as compensation. The amount shall be recoverable jointly or severally from the opposite parties,” a bench presided by B B Chaudhary said, and also directed the government to pay the couple Rs 10,000 as cost of litigation.
The forum also said if the compensation is paid by the ministry, then it is at liberty to recover the amount from the salary of the Railway Protection Force officials involved in the matter.
The order came on the complaint filed by Delhi-based lawyer Ajay Kumar and his wife Meenakshi, who had alleged that on June 21, 2006, while entering New Delhi Railway Station through one of its gates, one of the male RPF officials posted there for security purposes misbehaved with her, while two other officers looked on.
They said despite several complaints to the ministry, no action was taken against the errant RPF officials.
The ministry in its defence contended that they had twice enquired into the allegations made by the couple and both times their claims were found baseless.
The ministry had also contended that the couple did not like being checked by security while entering the station and had turned the episode into a prestige issue.
The forum, however, observed that the couple’s pleadings have to be believed as the three RPF officials involved in the incident did not appear before it or file a reply.
The forum also said the enquiry reports submitted by the ministry have no merit as the affidavits of the officials who conducted the proceedings against the RPF personnel were not put on record.
This is a welcome judgment. Let our other courts follow the suit. It is a pity that our tribunal and court award even in cases of proven negligence paltry sums. For our judiciary life is cheap and another yard stick for them is MV Act schedule. In cases of willful or equally negligent service the amounts should go up.