SC reprimands AI for challenging NCDRC order after 1 year gap

The Supreme Court today pulled up Air India for procrastinating for more than a year before challenging an order of the apex consumer body NCDRC which had directed the public carrier to pay compensation to LML Ltd for delay in delivery of a consignment.

A bench comprising Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma asked Air India to explain the unexpected delay of 423 days in challenging the orders of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) on compensation to the Kanpur-based LML Ltd for delay in a consignment delivery.

"Ask your officer to file a better affidavit explaining the delay in approaching it," the bench told the Attorney General of India Goolam E Vahanvati, who was representing Air India.

Vahanvati, too, expressed concerns over the delay and said," I am also not surprised that the appellant took 423 days to challenge it. It shows the paralysis that has set into the airlines".

Besides, the apex court also stayed the NCDRC order that asked Air India to pay a compensation of Rs 66 lakhs to two wheeler manufacturer LML Ltd along with nine per cent interest for delay in delivery of a consignment carrying autocomponents from Korea to India.

NCDRC on November 17, 2009 had passed an order the public carrier to pay the compensation for the delay in delivery of a consignment from Korea to India.

According to LML, components worth Rs 66 lakhs were booked from Korea to India through Air India and it was to be delivered within a week. However, the consignment get delayed and the two-wheeler manufacturer submitted that the relevance of the product has been lost and it was urgently required.

Following the delay, LML approached NCDRC, which asked to air carrier to refund the entire amount of the consignment.