NCDRC directs Jet Airways to pay Rs 1 lakh to passenger for preponing flight without informing
New Delhi, Aug 13: The apex consumer commission has directed Jet Airways to pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh along with interest to a Chhattisgarh resident for preponing a flight without informing him in June 2012 due to which he could not appear in an examination scheduled for the next day.
The commission held that Jet Airways India Limited was deficient in rendering services by not intimating to Dr Akash Lalwani the change in schedule of the flight, which left more than 10 hours before the scheduled departure.
Lalwani had booked his flight ticket through an online portal, Yahoo Tour and Travels, booking tickets on behalf of Jet Airways.
The commission said that it was for Jet Airways to ascertain the details of Lalwani and intimate him of the change in flight schedule.
"Though the case of Yahoo Tour and Travels is that it had provided all the details of the complainant to Jet Airways assuming that the details were not provided, it was for Jet Airways to ascertain the details of the passenger from the travel agent and intimate the change of time to him.
"That admittedly was not done. Therefore, Jet Airways India Ltd. was clearly deficient in rendering services to the complainant it having not intimated the change in the schedule time of the flight to him," Presiding of the commission V K Jain said.
According to Lalwani's complaint, he had booked a flight to from Raipur to Kolkata on June 9, 2012.
The flight which was to depart at 9.25 pm was combined with another flight which left at 10.40 am, more than 10 hours before the scheduled departure.
The early departure led to Lalwani missing the flight due to which he could not appear in an examination scheduled for 9 am on June 10, the next day at Kolkata.
He filed a complaint with the district forum, which had directed Jet Airways and Yahoo Tour and Travels to refund Rs 38,432, comprising expenditure incurred on appearing for the examination including air ticket, taxi fare, and cost of books.
The district forum also awarded Rs 11 lakh as compensation to Lalwani, which was challenged in the state commission by both Jet Airways and Yahoo Tour and Travels.
The state consumer commission modified the compensation amount to Rs 1 lakh while maintaining the direction for payment of Rs 38,432 with interest.
The state commission's order was challenged by both, the airlines and the online travel booking site, in the NCDRC.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
