It is never right to board a train without purchasing tickets. If caught, the train ticket examiner can fine passengers. But what if someone is travelling with properly booked tickets but still comes under a train ticket examiner’s radar and gets labelled a ticketless passenger? This seems completely unusual but this is an actual example of a recent incident where an elderly couple had to pay a fine of thousands despite showing valid tickets.
Elderly Couple Passengers Fined ₹22,300 Even After Carrying Tickets
This traumatising incident took place back in 2022 when a 77-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman were travelling on the Rajdhani Express. They boarded the train from Delhi on May 21, 2022, and were on their way to reach Barauni, according to a report by The Times of India. Spending ₹6,995, their son booked the tickets first AC tickets and sent the valid confirmed tickets to them as well.
The couple was having a good journey and expected the same to continue throughout, but things became chaotic soon. The train ticket examiner mentioned that the ticket status stated no room. Not just the unexpected turn of events, but the TTE soon fined them a hefty charge of ₹22,300. With no option in hand, the elderly passengers were bound to pay the fine with no fault of their own.
Getting called for something that they did not do in front of a train full of passengers and also paying such a whopping amount all of a sudden surely must have been a shocking and upsetting experience for them. We can only imagine what the elderly passengers have gone through. Though nothing was in their favour on that day, things soon took a turn when they shared the horrifying incident with their son, the man who booked the first AC tickets using the online IRCTC portal.
Also read: Delhi-Varanasi To Get A Second Vande Bharat Express; PM Modi To Inaugurate The New Train
Soon The Son Filed A Complaint
Hearing the entire incident from his parents, he began taking firm steps. First, he filed a complaint with the IRCTC helpline. Unfortunately, there was no assistance from IRCTC’s side so he took the case further and complained to the officials of IRCTC and the Chief Booking Officer of the South Western Railway. He took the matter to the Bengaluru Urban Third Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
No officials of the South Western Railway were present on the main day. The result of the complaint was in the favour of the elderly passengers. The concerned court ordered a compensation of ₹30,000 for harassing the couple. The court also ordered a payment of ₹10,000 for the son’s litigation costs. Along with these, they will also need to refund the hefty amount of fine taken from the couple on the Rajdhani Express.
Also read: Mumbai-Bound Train Decouples Near Uluberia Station In West Bengal; No Injury Reported
Though the couple had to face some unpleasant experiences on that day, the good news is that the results came in the favour of the innocent ones. Have you faced any such unusual experience while travelling with Indian Railways?
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
For more such snackable content, interesting discoveries and latest updates on food, travel and experiences in your city, download the Curly Tales App. Download HERE.
Good news! We are on WhatsApp! Subscribe to Curly Tales WhatsApp Channel to stay up-to-date with exclusive content and BTS. Join HERE.