A district consumer disputes redressal forum here has directed a private charter company to compensate a complainant by paying ₹25,000. The order comes following allegations that the company failed to provide helicopter services to the Amarnath shrine despite the complainant booking tickets for the same.

Complainants Sunita Saini and Maya Saini alleged that two tickets were booked with Jagson Airlines for a chopper ride to the Amarnath cave from a Srinagar helipad.

Another helipcopter

“After a long wait, three members [of the airlines] came and collected their tickets with an assurance to conduct the flight to carry the passenger. [However] there was no sign of the Jagson Airlines helicopter while the Himalayan Airlines helicopter took off [with] passengers to Amarnath,” the Bench said while noting the allegations in the complaint.

The airlines contended that the flight was cancelled “due to bad weather and technical reasons” .

“It is stated that the helicopter service in the mountain area of Kashmir is a risky business. The main reasons for cancelling the flight are either on account of bad weather in the area or technical reasons. Flying a helicopter in bad conditions can cause problems and would put the life of passengers in danger,” the airlines contended while seeking dismissal of the complaint.

Deficient in services

However, the consumer panel dismissed the contentions put forth by the airlines and held it deficient in services.

“The [airlines] was granted opportunities to place on record the bad weather report but failed to do so. Further, the [airlines] has not disputed the helicopter services run by other airlines. We hold the [airlines] guilty of deficiency in service and caused undue harassment, physical as well as mental to the complainants,” the Bench held.