Railway passenger wins Rs 30,000 in compensation after travelling in train with dirty toilet

V Murthy had bought four AC three-tier tickets for him and his family. (Representational image)

A consumer court in Visakhapatnam has ordered the Indian Railways to pay Rs 30,000 as compensation to a 55-year-old man after he and his family faced severe inconvenience during their train journey from Tirupati to Duvvada in Vizag.

V Murthy had bought four 3AC seats of the Tirumala Express train but the air conditioning in their coach was not working properly and the toilets did not have water, Times of India reported. The family continued to face difficulties due to the unhygienic conditions throughout their journey. Murthy told the court that although he had lodged a complaint with the concerned office in Duvvada, no action was taken.

The Railways, on the other hand, refuted the allegations and claimed that Murthy filed the complaint with false allegations to make money at the cost of the public exchequer and that he and his family reached the destination safely by availing the services provided by the Railways.

The consumer court, however, observed that the Railways had categorically admitted that after receiving the complaint, the concerned staff attended to it and found that the free flow of water to the toilets was obstructed due to an air block, the publication reported. This admission proved that the train was kept on the platform without even checking the minimum amenities, the court noted and directed the Railways to pay a compensation of 25,000 to Murthy for the inconvenience caused during the journey from Tirupati to Duvvada (Vizag district) and an additional 5,000 to cover the legal costs.