Kasaragod: In a remarkable ruling upholding consumer rights, the Kasaragod District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to refund Re 1 along with 9 per cent interest, pay ₹100 in compensation, and reimburse ₹3,000 as legal costs to a passenger after deducting a single rupee from his ticket refund.

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The complainant, Sanjay Raj, a young advocate from Muliyar Kanathur, booked a 3-Tier AC train ticket for ₹553 on August 11, 2024, for travel scheduled on August 20. He cancelled the ticket on August 17, well over 48 hours prior to departure. Under standard rules, after deducting a cancellation fee of ₹180 and 5 per cent GST of ₹9, the net refund due to him was ₹341. However, IRCTC credited only ₹340 to his account, keeping ₹1.

Challenging the short-crediting of his refund, Raj approached the consumer commission. Partially allowing the complaint, the bench comprising President K Krishnan and Member K G Beena ruled that withholding the single rupee constituted a service deficiency and an unfair trade practice.

The commission ordered IRCTC to refund ₹1 along with 9 per cent interest from the cancellation date of August 17, 2024, until payment, alongside ₹100 as compensation for deficiency in service and ₹3,000 toward litigation expenses within 30 days.