The Pune District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum directed IndiGo airline to refund the ticket amount with nine per cent interest, along with additional Rs 50,000 as compensation, to two passengers who faced hardship while travelling to Delhi from Pune.
The order was passed by Umesh Jawalikar, president, Pune District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum; Kshitija Kulkarni and Sangeeta Deshmukh, members of the forum.
Skand Asim Bajpai and Surabhi Rajiv Bharadwaj, both residents of Kothrud, had filed a complaint with the consumer forum against the airline and the airport authority, following their experience on December 31, 2018.
According to the complaint filed by the two passengers, they had booked tickets for Rs 8,574. While travelling, they discovered a cockroach under their seat. They informed the airline representative and requested for immediate fumigation. However, the airline representative denied their request and asked them to file a complaint via SMS or email, instead of addressing the cleanliness issue.
After disembarking the flight, the passengers lodged their grievances at the airline’s Delhi office.
The passengers showed them the photographs of the cockroach. However, the airline did not address it, prompting them to file a complaint with the consumer forum.
According to passengers, the airline officials told them that finding a cockroach under one’s seat is not a serious offence.
Bajpai in his complaint said that he hurt his hand while shooing away the cockroach. Despite multiple complaints their plea was not heard and both the passengers demanded compensation and litigation cost from the airline.
The order was passed ex-parte as the forum had earlier issued notices to the airline and the Airport Authority of India asking them to remain present before them to present their defence in the case. However, none of them turned up before the forum after which it passed the order on December 17,2019.
