`Gold bracelet goes missing’: Hyderabad consumer panel asks IndiGo Airlines to pay ₹60K for failing to safeguard passenger’s belongings

Hyderabad: Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission–I has directed IndiGo Airlines to pay Rs 60,000 as compensation for failing to safeguard a passenger’s belongings.

Holding it guilty of deficiency in service, the Commission came down heavily on the airline for its delayed response to the complainant's grievance.

Gold bracelet goes missing during international travel

The complainant, Mohammad Rais Khan, a resident of Gangannapet village in Utnur mandal of Adilabad district, had travelled from Abu Dhabi to Hyderabad on December 6, 2023, by an IndiGo flight.

According to the complaint, Khan was carrying a 24-carat gold bracelet weighing 35.47 grams in his cabin baggage. He had purchased the bracelet from a shop in Dubai and possessed a valid tax invoice as proof of purchase.

Broken lock, missing jewellery at Shamshabad Airport

Upon arrival at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, Khan noticed that the lock of his cabin bag was broken. On checking the contents, he found that the gold bracelet was missing.

He immediately approached the IndiGo help desk at the airport and filed a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). Subsequently, he also lodged complaints with the Shamshabad Police Station and the Consumer Commission.

Delay amounts to deficiency in service: Commission

After examining the case, the Consumer Commission observed that the airline had failed in its duty to properly safeguard the passenger’s belongings and had also delayed its response to the grievance.

Terming the delay and negligence as a deficiency in service, the Commission ordered IndiGo Airlines to pay Rs 60,000 to the complainant as compensation.

The order reinforces the responsibility of airlines to ensure passenger baggage safety and respond promptly to grievances, especially in cases involving valuable personal belongings.