Indigo, Qatar Airlines asked to pay Rs. 3.12 lakh to ERC chairman Sriranga Rao

Indigo Airlines and Qatar Airlines were asked to pay Rs.3,12,412 to a complainant, T Sriranga Rao, chairman of the Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission, for misplacing his baggage during a flight from San Francisco to Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has asked Interglobe Aviation Limited (Indigo Airlines) and Qatar Airways Company (Qatar Airlines) to pay Rs.3,12,412 to a complainant, T Sriranga Rao, chairman of the Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission, for misplacing his baggage during a flight from San Francisco to Hyderabad.

The court has also asked the airlines to pay 9 percent interest from the date of loss of baggage till the date of realization. They were also asked to pay a compensation of Rs.50,000 and Rs.10,000 as costs. The Airlines were asked to comply with the order within 45 days from the date of receipt of the order.

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As per the complaint lodged by Sriranga Rao, the Airlines examined the bags containing items worth Rs.3,54,062 and issued boarding passes at San Francisco airport. However, upon reaching the destination, Hyderabad, it was discovered that the bag was misplaced during the journey, and the airlines could not locate it despite assurances. After several correspondence through e-mails, the airlines offered Rs.41,650 as compensation. However, Sriranga Rao rejected the offer and sought compensation of Rs.3,54,062 . He approached the consumer court seeking justice.

In its order, the consumer court observed that as the airlines had admitted that the baggage of the complainant was lost, the Rs.41,650 offered was not sufficient. More so, since he was able to furnish all the bills of the lost items, the court said Sriranga Rao was entitled for an amount of Rs.3,54,062. The court deducted Rs.41,650 received by the complainant and asked the airlines to pay the remaining Rs.3,12,412.