IndiGo aircraft.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
IndiGo Airlines was ordered to pay Rs 50,000 each to a couple by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for not providing wheelchair to them and causing 'physical harassment'.
As per a report by The Indian Express, 70-year-old Sunil Jand and his 67-year-old wife Veena Kumari had filed a complaint against the airlines saying that even after booking tickets along with two wheelchairs, they were not provided proper facility.
On October 11, 2023, the couple had travelled from Chandigarh to Bengaluru for Sunil's knee replacement surgery. His wife had already undergone the same surgery.
At Chandigarh airport, they were not provided with wheelchairs and were directed to go to the airline's windows. Due to their medical condition, they faced difficulties with it.
Jand said that nobody came for their help which made them anxious as the boarding was being announced.
"Then there was a sudden change to gate No. 3. Reeling in pain, we somehow reached gate No.3 and reported the whole matter to a girl, Ankita, who instead of apologising started arguing with us. At 4.40 pm we were provided two wheelchairs and were taken to the aeroplane," jand said as quoted by TIE.
He further stated that even after landing at the airport in Bengaluru, the harassment did not end, their wheelchairs were left outside the exit gate and the staff dissapeared.
after waiting till 9 pm, they filed a complaint after which an airlines officer offered them Rs 2000 as compensation to close the complaint.
The couple's agony did not end here, and they filed a complaint about compensation.
Jand said that he wrote an email to the airlines official on March 13, 2023 but did not receive a satisfactory response.
The commission heard the arguments and said that no representative turned up from the airlines side even after service of notice and so they proceed to ex parte.
Following this, the commission ordered to pay Rs 50,000 each for causing 'physical harassment' and 'mental agony', including litigation expenses, the publication reported.