The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held that Aeroflot had "arbitrarily and whimsically" retained the amount of the tickets and dismissed the airline's appeal against a district forum order directing it to refund the amount and pay compensation of Rs 2,000.
"The District Forum has taken correct view in refunding amount of the tickets to the tune of Rs 1,30,000 and this amount is arbitrarily and whimsically retained by the appellant-opposite party (Aeroflot) by which complainant was deprived of the use of this money.
"Awarding of compensation to the tune of Rs 2,000 is just and fair in the circumstances of the case. The appeal is dismissed," a bench comprising its members Salma Noor and V K Gupta said.
The district forum's order had come on the complaint of Kulbir Singh, an NRI residing in USA, who had booked tickets on Aeroflot to travel from India to America on March 20, 2007.
However, he could not travel on that day and had sought postponement of the journey to another date but the airline was not able to accommodate him, he had said, adding that as a result he had sought refund of Rs 1.30 lakh paid for the tickets.
The airline had refused to refund the amount, Singh had alleged in his complaint.
In its appeal in the state commission, the airline denied the allegations and said the amount was not refunded as he had not produced the original tickets.
The state commission rejected the contention, saying "it is devoid of any force" as the district forum had specifically and categorically stated the original tickets were produced before the airline.
