An Indian man has won a case related to an overpriced railway ticket after almost 22 years.

Tungnath Chaturvedi, a lawyer, was charged 20 rupees ($0.25; £0.21) extra for two tickets he had bought in 1999.

The incident occurred at Mathura cantonment railway station in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

A consumer court last week ruled in Mr Chaturvedi’s favour and asked the railways to refund the amount with interest.

“I have attended more than 100 hearings in connection with this case,” Mr Chaturvedi, 66, told the BBC. “But you can’t put a price on the energy and time I’ve lost fighting this case.”

Consumer courts in India specifically deal with grievances related with services. But they are known to be overburdened by cases and sometimes it can take years for even simple cases to be solved.

Mr Chaturvedi, who lives in Uttar Pradesh, was travelling from Mathura to Moradabad when a ticket-booking clerk overcharged him for the two tickets he had bought.

The tickets cost 35 rupees each, but when he gave 100 rupees, the clerk returned 10 rupees, charging 90 rupees for the tickets instead of 70.

He told the clerk he had overcharged him, but Mr Chaturvedi didn’t get any refund at the time.

So, he decided to file a case against North East Railway (Gorakhpur) – a section of the Indian Railways – and the booking clerk in a consumer court in Mathura.

He said it took him years because of the slow pace at which judiciary works in India.

“The railways also tried to dismiss the case, saying complaints against the railways should be addressed to a railway tribunal and not a consumer court,” said Mr Chaturvedi. A railway claims tribunal is a quasi-judicial body set up to address claims related to train travel in India.

“But we used a 2021 Supreme Court ruling to prove that the matter could be heard in a consumer court,” Mr Chaturvedi said. At other times, hearings would get delayed because judges were on vacation or condolence leave, he added.

After the long fight, the judgement ordered the railways to pay him a fine of 15,000 rupees ($188; £154). The court also directed the railways to refund him the 20 rupees at 12% interest per year, from 1999 to 2022. The court also ordered that if the amount was not paid in the specified time of 30 days, the interest rate would be revised to 15%. 

Mr Chaturvedi said the compensation he got was paltry and it doesn’t make up for the mental anguish the case caused him. His family tried to dissuade him several times from pursuing the case, calling it a waste of time, but he kept going. 

“It’s not the money that matters. This was always about a fight for justice and a fight against corruption, so it was worth it,” he said. “Also, since I am an advocate myself, I didn’t have to pay money to a lawyer or bear the cost of travelling to the court. That can get quite expensive.”

He also believes that no matter what a person’s official designation is, they “can’t get away with wrongdoings if people are prepared to question them about it”.

He said that he believed that his case would serve as an inspiration to others that “one doesn’t need to give up even when the fight looks tough”.

China’s research and Survey vessel, Yuan Wang 5 has continued to proceed toward Sri Lanka’s port of Hambantota even though the island’s authorities asked Beijing to defer the visit, reported ANI citing local media. On Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested China defer the vessel’s visit. However, on that same day, Yuan Wang 5 increased its speed and reached a point around 600 nautical miles away from Hambantota. 

Media reports had stated last night that the vessel is said to have slowed down abruptly to a speed of 5 knots and changed its direction to the Andaman Islands. But, On Wednesday, Yuan Wang 5 returned to its original course. This came after on Monday, Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry requested the Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 5 be scheduled to dock at the Chinese-leased Hambantota port on August 11 for refuelling and leave on August 17. 

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry had even stated that it wishes to reaffirm the enduring friendship and excellent relations with China which are on a solid foundation. The strong bilateral ties between China and Sri Lanka were also reiterated on August 4 by the two Foreign Ministers Ali Sabry and Wang Yi at a bilateral meeting in Phnom Penh.

China said it ‘fully respects coastal countries’ jurisdiction

While reacting to varying media reports regarding Yuan Wang 5, China’s Foreign Ministry had said that Beijing “always exercises freedom of the high seas in accordance with law and fully respects coastal countries’ jurisdiction over scientific research activities in waters under their jurisdiction.” The mainland also called on “relevant parties” to see the marine scientific research activities in a rational light and stop the disruption of normal exchange and cooperation between Colombo and Beijing. 

“It is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called “security concerns” to pressure Sri Lanka,” it said.

China’s Yuan Wang 5 is a designated research and survey vessel and was built in 2007. With a carrying capacity of 11,000 tonnes, the ship conducted satellite research in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean during the reported visit to a crucial port in Sri Lanka. However, the vessel’s course sparked security concerns in India as Hambantota port is located around 250 kilometres from Sri Lanka’s capital. Remarkably, it is built with a high-interest loan from China while Sri Lanka is facing the worst economic crisis as it struggles to pay back debt taken from Beijing.

INDIAN DEFENSE RESEARCH WING

The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today (12) has ordered the further remand of four persons including Dhanish Ali, who are remanded for the charge of entering the President’s House as well as the National Television, until the 26th.

At the time the case was called, the Fort Police requested the authorities to remand the accused as the relevant investigations have not yet been completed.

According to the request, the court has issued the order.

Sajith Premadasa, leader of the opposition, questioned the problems faced by the village officers scattered all over the country under Standing Order 27(2) in Parliament today (12).

02nd August 2022

Avtra, a world leader in providing research-backed cutting-edge technology solutions for the aviation and tourism sectors, recently commemorated its fifth-year anniversary, bringing together the highly talented and diverse team based in Colombo on an excursion and making a pledge to revolutionizing travel in the next 55 years. This incredible milestone, and what’s yet to come, hints to the growing resilience and agility of Avtra amidst the many unprecedented disruptions to the industry. 

Backed by industry professionals with decades of experience, Avtra’s solutions are some of the most modern, versatile and innovative technological advancements used by renowned airlines, airports and travel companies worldwide. 

Avtra is now gearing up to expand its talent pool to cater to the increasing demand and are actively looking for creative individuals in the areas of software development, business intelligence, artificial intelligence, and application support, to complement and sustain its ambitious commitment and excellence to design and build competitive solutions from the ground-up that are robust, secure, scalable and responsive.

“To all our employees, customers, stakeholders and friends – I thank you for your continued commitment to Avtra. We look forward to celebrating more success stories as we continue our quest to become the global aviation solutions provider of choice, bringing about innovations and immersive user experience for not only airlines and travel companies but also for travelers everywhere.”, the Avtra’s Co-Founder Amir Hashemi added.

“It’s been a spectacular journey for all of us here at Avtra as we celebrate five years of progressive success by working together in reinventing and reshaping the future of the airline and travel industries. Our people are our heroes, and their relentless dedication and passion is truly outstanding. Sri Lanka undoubtedly holds immense potential with access to diverse talent and skills in the technology sphere,” commented Avtra’s Co-Founder Nasly Yoosuf.

Yoosuf added, “We are embarking on an expansion drive to take on challenges and conquer new horizons by creating meaningful and impactful solutions that are faster, sturdier and more stable, lightweight, and far more cost-effective.”

One of its most sough-after products is the new-generation Avtra Skaii Passenger Service System (Avtra PSS) which provides airlines of any size and business model with a seamless reservation experience to their valuable passengers, by providing optimum operational scalability and flexibility that best suits their specific needs, and giving them an instant platform to sell tickets through Avtra’s back-office portal integrated with various distribution channels.

In addition, Avtra also offers an integrated departure control system (Avtra DCS) as well as a frequent flyer program (Avtra FFP), enabling airlines to manage the entire journey and passenger customer relationship process, in a centralized and cost-effective way. Other solutions include Avtra CRM, Avtra Weight & Balance (W&B) and Avtra ConnectOTA. 

Avtra was named the winner under the consumer segment in the media, tourism and retail category at the prestigious APICTA Awards 2020-2021, and earlier this year was awarded two Silver awards for its Avtra Skaii Passenger Service System and Weight & Balance solutions at the National ICT Awards organized by the Sri Lankan section of the BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT.

Avtra also donated a tailored reservations system to Air Serv as part of its global initiative to support humanitarian endeavors in June this year, which will help increase the efficiency of the humanitarian organization’s air operations going forward.

Avtra is a specialist IT provider for the airline industry, with a state-of-the-art R&D center based in Colombo and sales and marketing offices in UAE and Cyprus. Avtra today is a result of many years of dedication and hard work. It has been built from scratch, incorporating the latest open technologies- in a multitiered modular architecture- allowing for the delivery of end-to-end inventory control and distribution for airlines of all sizes and business models. For more information about Avtra, please visit www.avtra.com.

Photo Caption:

1. Mr Senthil Thondaman presenting the award to Dr. Mohammed Rushmi Sacquaff. Also seen here (L-R) are Dr. Dexter Fernando, Prof Rohan De Silva, and Dr. Tharindu Wijenayake

In recognition of his expert knowledge and significant contribution to the field of interior designing more specifically on pioneering modular kitchens and home interiors, Kitchen & Bedroom’s Dr. Mohammed Rushmi Sacquaff was conferred with the title of Doctorate in Interior Designing by the American National Business University, Delaware, USA.

The University awarded Dr. Sacquaff a Honoris Causa Doctorate based on his past experiences and knowledge through the route of Accreditation of Prior Learning. This achievement reflects the continued passion and dedication of Dr. Sacquaff in being updated with emerging and contemporary themes in the interior space, further strengthening his capabilities and competencies together with his academic rigor.

Dr. Sacquaff was instrumental in the success and growth of Kitchen & Bedroom, steering it to be one of the most sought-after interior planning and designing outfits that brings out the perfect blend of luxury, comfort and functionality complementing today’s living spaces.

‘I am very delighted to been awarded a Doctorate. I firmly believe that learning is a never-ending journey and the more you have an aptitude to gain knowledge with an open mind, the more you are able to take on risks and challenges and explore new horizons. Sri Lanka has an incredible pool of creative and talented designers and I am committed to doing the best I can to uplift our potential in the global arena,’ said Dr. Sacquaff.

In his capacity as the Group CEO, Dr. Sacquaff continues to mentor and lead a diverse team of highly qualified and talented interior designers, inspiring them with refined artistry and craftsmanship and reinstating the values and customer-centric approach to every project, together with his wife Fathima Zuhara who is also a Director of Kitchen & Bedroom.

Last year, Dr. Sacquaff was named ‘Best CEO of the Year’ under the Platinum- Medium Category at BIO Awards, was recently conferred as Master Project Manager (MPM) and designated as Fellow of the American Academy of Project Management (FAAPM). Dr. Sacquaff was also named an Ambassador for Peace by the Centre for Peace Studies (CPS).