HYDERABAD: A district consumer forum here has directed India Post to pay 20,000 as compensation to a retired IPS officer whose parcel was tampered with and articles missing.
In the complaint, VK Singh submitted that he had sent articles in four packets via India Post at GPO , Hyderabad through a person named Rawoof. He further claimed that a person overlooking the delivery had deliberately advised to unpack the parcels.
The complainant said saris and bed sheets were placed in one packet, while the other packet comprised shirts, pants, medical books and plastic containers, among others.
He further alleged that when the articles reached the destination in Haridwar, ten saris worth 20,000 were missing. Singh said that video recordings of the packets taken during the dispatch and after arrival at the destination clearly shows the difference. It was also found that the packets were tampered with intentionally. Singh added that such cases have been reported earlier as well.
Left with no other option, Singh approached the commission for redressal.
Meanwhile, India Post, in its written version, submitted that after receiving the complaint from Singh, they enquired and it was revealed that articles were received at the post office in good condition and the same were delivered to the addressee on June 13, 2022. They claimed that the complaint had not declared the value of articles and pointed out that if the customer was sending valuable items through registered parcels, he could have insured the parcel to its intrinsic value.
The bench said the postal department officials concerned are accountable for the loss. Along with compensation, the consumer forum also awarded 5,000 towards costs of the complaint.
Oct 01,2023
Source: The Economic Times