A consumer forum in Jammu and Kashmir has directed IndiGo Airlines to pay ₹1.19 lakh to two passengers whose checked-in baggage was lost during their return journey from Saudi Arabia, citing airline negligence.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at Baramulla/Bandipora ordered ₹89,000 as compensation for the lost luggage, ₹20,000 for mental agony and inconvenience, and ₹10,000 toward litigation expenses. The airline has been instructed to pay the amount within 30 days, failing which interest at 10% per annum will accrue from the date of the order until full payment.
The complainants, Mohammad Maqbool Hakeem and his wife Farhat Ara, had traveled from Dammam in Saudi Arabia to Srinagar via Delhi along with a group of passengers. The couple alleged that at Dammam Airport, IndiGo officials combined the baggage of the group without proper verification and issued only collective baggage tags, resulting in one of their five bags going missing upon arrival at Delhi Airport.
Also Read: India Schedules 58 Middle East Flights Today To Ease Crisis Disruptions
Despite filing a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and providing details including photographs of the missing luggage, the baggage was never traced. The airline denied liability, stating that it did not cover delayed delivery of baggage. However, the Commission found the claim valid, noting that the missing luggage contained valuables worth ₹89,000 and that the loss was due to the airline’s negligence.
“Considering the nature of articles ordinarily carried in personal luggage, the inconvenience caused to the complainants, and the failure of the airline to trace or adequately compensate for the baggage, it is just and proper to award reasonable compensation,” the Commission stated.
The complainants were represented by Advocate Umar Bashir. The ruling highlights the growing accountability of airlines in India for passenger grievances and sets a precedent for consumer protection in cases of mishandled baggage.
Also Read: India Donates Ship Spares to Seychelles Defence Forces Amid Joint Military Exercise