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Justice Delayed, Not Denied! UP Man Wins 22-Yr-Long Legal Suit Against Railways For Overcharging Him Rs 20
Writer: Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Uttar Pradesh, 14 Aug 2022 6:21 AM GMT
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Creatives : Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
The matter occurred at the Mathura cantonment railway station and dates back to December 25, 1999. Advocate Chaturvedi was travelling to Moradabad and asked for two tickets where the clerk charged him ₹90 instead of ₹70.
A 66-year-old man, Tugnath Chaturvedi from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, waged and won a 22-year-long legal battle that he fought against Indian Railways for overcharging him ₹20 for a train ticket in 1999.
Chaturvedi, also a lawyer by profession, filed the suit, and after more than two decades of proceedings in court, the Forum has ruled in his favour.
What Was The Matter?
The matter occurred at the Mathura cantonment railway station and dates back to December 25, 1999. The lawyer was travelling from Mathura to Moradabad and asked for two tickets at the ticket booking counter, where the clerk charged him ₹90 instead of ₹70.
At ₹35 per person ticket, two tickets would have cost him ₹70; however, he was overcharged ₹20 for the two tickets he bought at the time.
Chaturvedi told the clerk that he had been overcharged, but the booking clerk refused, and no refund was allotted. Meanwhile, as his train had arrived at the station, the lawyer boarded and departed for Moradabad.
Appeared For Over 100 Court Proceedings
Later, upon his return, Advocate Chaturvedi filed an official complaint against the authorities of Indian Railways in a consumer court in Mathura, following which the General Manager of North Eastern Railway Gorakhpur and the window booking clerk of Mathura Cantonment railway station were made parties.
After appearing for over 100 court proceedings, the consumer court has finally ruled out a decision in favour of the 66-year-old.
He said, "I have attended more than 100 hearings in connection with this case. But you can't put a price on the energy and time I've lost fighting this case," quoted News 18.
Court's Verdict After 22-Year-Long Legal Battle
After 21 years, in the verdict released last week, the consumer court ordered Railways to pay the lawyer a refund of ₹20, compensation of ₹15,000 in addition to interest at 12 per cent a year between 1999 to 2022.
The court observed that if the railway fails to comply with the condition within 30 days, the interest rate will be increased to 15 per cent.
While opening up about the court's verdict, the 66-year-old lawyer said, "It's not the money that matters. This was always about a fight for justice and a fight against corruption, so it was worth it. Also, since I am an advocate myself, I didn't have to pay money to a lawyer or bear the cost of travelling to the court. That can get quite expensive."
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