Transportation company to pay Rs 2.3 lakh for damaging car

A district consumer forum here has directed a transportation company to pay over Rs 2.3 lakh to a man for causing severe damage to his car by driving it via road from Delhi to Pune instead of transporting it on a truck.
The Central Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, presided by Rakesh Kapoor, directed the Gurgaon-based Vishal Roadlines to pay Rs 2,33,014 lakh to Delhi resident Akshay Sharma, who had booked his car with the company for transportation from Delhi to Pune on a truck.
"We hold that the complainant booked his car, with opposite party (company) for transportation from New Delhi to Pune. We further hold that instead of transporting the car, the company, for reasons best known to it, had driven it by road to Pune and caused severe damage to its engine and the entire body of the car," said the forum, which also comprises member SN Shukla.

The forum noted that although the car should have been delivered within five days as agreed between Sharma and the company, he had received it following repairs after four months.
Holding the transportation company "deficient in rendering service" to Sharma, the consumer forum directed it to pay the amount, which includes compensation for causing him pain and agony and the cost of litigation.
According to Sharma, he had purchased a Maruti Swift car in March 2010 and, in August 2010, had approached the company to transport the vehicle from New Delhi to Pune.

He was assured that the car is to be shifted on a truck and would be delivered within five days.

He, however, learnt that the car had developed serious snags in its engine near Vadodara in Gujarat as it was being driven right from Delhi to his Pune residence instead of being transported on a truck, as had been agreed with the company.
After receiving the car, Sharma noticed there were a lot of scratches on its body and found its tyres worn out. The car was in a shabby condition and had sustained other damage.
Sharma had to spend Rs 73,000 on the repairs to his car.
The forum also noted that Sharma had earlier served a legal notice on the company, which was ignored by it.

The transportation company did not contest the complaint before the forum.