'Railways Liable for Theft': Court orders railways to pay Rs 4.7 lakh to passenger for stolen bag in reserved bogie
NCDRC) has ordered the Indian Railways to pay approximately Rs 4.7 lakh in compensation to a passenger whose belongings were stolen on the Amarkantak Express in May 2017. The commission found that while the passenger took «reasonable precautions» to secure his luggage, the ticket collector (TTE) failed to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering the reserved coach.
The incident occurred on May 9, 2017, when Dilip Kumar Chaturvedi and his family traveled from Katni to Durg in a sleeper coach. Around 2:30 AM, Chaturvedi reported to the railway police that his luggage, which included cash and valuables worth approximately Rs 9.3 lakh, had been stolen. Following this, he lodged a complaint with the Durg district consumer commission, which ordered several railway officials to compensate him for the loss.
Legal Proceedings and NCDRC Findings
The railway officials challenged the district commission's order, and the Chhattisgarh State Consumer Commission ultimately quashed it. In response, Chaturvedi filed a revision petition with the NCDRC. The commission rejected the Railways' argument that it was not liable for the theft under Section 100 of the Railway Act, stating that the administration must ensure passenger safety, especially in reserved coaches.
NCDRC bench comprising Justice Sudip Ahluwalia and Rohit Kumar Singh stated, "...it is concluded that Railways is liable for the theft, and there was deficiency in service provided to the petitioner (passenger) owing to negligence of railway officials concerned."
