Consumer forum orders Airtel to pay compensation to lawyer

Bharti Airtel Limited has been directed by a consumer forum here to pay Rs 10,000 to one of its customers as compensation for providing faulty internet connection.
The East District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum said the telecom major had provided deficient service to its customer, a Delhi-based lawyer, as its internet connection was not fully operational.
The forum made the observation after going through the emails exchanged between the two parties wherein Airtel had admitted that the internet connection was faulty.
"... The connection was not fully operationally. This has been admitted by opposite party in their reply that due to fault in the system of the complainant, he could not use the Wi-Fi connection. We allow this complaint. The opposite party (Airtel) shall rectify the defect in the Wi-Fi system of the complainant...," a bench presided by N A Zaidi said.

The forum also awarded the complainant, J K Mittal, compensation of Rs 10,000 for the inconvenience caused to him.
Mittal had said in his complaint that despite paying Rs 1,500 for setting up the connection, he was not able to use the internet as the system was not fully installed.

He had also submitted that two email IDs and the password of the Wi-Fi system, which should have been provided to him, were not given. Mittal had alleged that despite making several complaints to the telecom firm, no action was taken.
In its defence, Airtel had denied Mittal's allegations and contended that they had provided the email IDs.

The forum, however, rejected the contention, saying the opposite party could not place on record any evidence to substantiate its claim.
"We find substance in the submission of complainant that he was not in a position to use the broadband system for which he had paid the opposite party and it definitely amounts to deficiency in service," the bench said.