We know how cases take long-long years to conclude, but this Indian lawyer didn’t hesitate to fight for his rights. Tungnath Chaturvedi from UP has finally won a 22-year-long legal case with Indian railways.
In 1999, when he was travelling from Mathura to Moradabad, the ticket-booking centre overcharged him Rs 20 for two tickets. Tungnath informed the ticket clerk about the matter but was not returned the money.
According to reports, The cost per ticket was ₹35, and Tungnath gave the railway clerk a note of ₹100, but he only got ₹10 in return, as he was charged ₹90 instead. He then filed an official complaint against the authorities in a consumer court in Mathura.
He also claimed that the Railways tried to dismiss his appeal and that they are only responsible to address cases related to train travel in India.
Talking about his 22-year-old battle for justice, Tungnath said:
It was a long tiring legal battle. Despite full-proof evidence, I had to attend 120 hearings to prove the wrongdoings on the part of the Railway administration. My family and friends tried to dissuade me several times from pursuing the case, calling it a waste of time, but I kept going. It is not the money that matters. This was always about a fight against corruption.
Finally, the court ruled in his favour. Reportedly, the railway has to pay Chaturvedi a fine of Rs 15,000 for financial and mental pain. He will get a refund of Rs 20 at a 12% interest rate for each year between 1999 to 2022. If they fail to pay the amount in the next 30 days, the rate of interest will be revised to 15%.
While some people on the internet are lauding Tungnath for his patience and others are highlighting the stress it must have cost him.
Justice often comes with a heavy price, don’t you agree?
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