NCDRC orders Indian Railways to pay Rs 4.7 lakh for passenger's bag theft due to negligence
New Delhi: The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has ordered Indian Railways to compensate a passenger, Dilip Kumar Chaturvedi, with Rs 4.7 lakh for the theft of his luggage during a journey on the Amarkantak Express in May 2017. The theft occurred when Chaturvedi and his family were travelling from Katni to Durg.
The incident took place on May 9, 2017, at around 2:30 AM. Chaturvedi lodged a First Information Report (FIR) with the railway police, reporting that his luggage, containing cash and valuables worth approximately Rs 9.3 lakh, was stolen while the train was in motion. Chaturvedi alleged that despite taking reasonable precautions to secure his luggage, the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) failed to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering the reserved coach.
Initially, Chaturvedi approached the Durg district consumer commission, which ruled in his favour, directing the South East Central Railway GM, Durg station master, and Bilaspur Government Railway Police (GRP) thana in-charge to pay the claimed amount. However, the railway authorities challenged the district commission’s order in the state commission, which quashed the earlier ruling.
Chaturvedi then filed a revision petition with the NCDRC, arguing that the railway staff, particularly the TTE and police personnel, were negligent, resulting in the theft. He contended that s. 100 of the Railway Act, which exempts the railways from liability for loss or damage to luggage unless it has been officially booked and a receipt issued, did not apply in this case due to the clear negligence of railway officials.
The NCDRC bench, after reviewing the case, dismissed Indian Railways' defence and ruled that the theft occurred due to the negligence of the railway staff. The commission ordered Indian Railways to pay Rs 4.7 lakh to Chaturvedi as compensation for the stolen belongings, along with an additional Rs 20,000 for the mental anguish caused by the incident.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
