UP: Overcharged Rs 20 in 1999, man wins legal battle against Indian Railways after 22 yrs

After being overcharged Rs 20 by Indian Railways for his tickets in 1999, Tungnath Chaturvedi, an Uttar Pradesh-based advocate moved court in December that year. Now, 22 years later in 2022, a court has ruled in favour of Chaturvedi, reportedly ordering Indian Railways to pay him a sum of Rs 15,000.  

Speaking to ANI about his fight for justice that prolonged for over two decades, Chaturvedi said, "On 25th December 1999, I had bought two tickets to Muradabad which amounted to Rs 70 but the clerk at the ticket window took Rs 90 from me. I had questioned him and had even met the station master but none of that helped. Hence I was forced to seek legal remedy."

For two tickets to Muradabad, each costing Rs 35, Chaturvedi reportedly gave the clerk Rs 100. He was due Rs 30 back, but the clerk only returned Rs 10, leaving him with a 20 rupee loss, the UP-based advocate informed.

"After a 22-year-long fight, the court ruled in my favour, asking Railways to pay me Rs 15,000. The Court has also ordered the Indian Railways to pay this amount within one month or they will be liable to pay 15% interest extra on the total amount to be paid," Chaturvedi said.

'Over a hundred hearings'

Upon being asked by the ANI reporter about his will to fight a case for over twenty years, that too against an institution as big as the Indian Railways, advocate Chaturvedi said, "I had belief in myself and being an advocate I had enough legal knowledge to know about what to do in a situation like this. If the Railways charges anybody more than the legal fare, then we can get them punished via the consumer district redressal forum. My family advised me to take back this case, my friends and relatives persuaded me to give up but I turned a deaf year towards them and continued on my path for justice."

"I've been to more than a hundred hearings related to this lawsuit. Many people tried their level best to postpone the case, many officials even tried to dismiss the case. But finally, justice has prevailed. I have been through so much in the 22 years. The time and energy I've wasted, though, cannot be valued,"  Chaturvedi concluded.