Activate promised number or pay Rs 50K: DK Consumer Forum to Airtel

Mangaluru, Feb 3: In a clear victory for an aggrieved consumer, Dakshina Kannada District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has decreed that mobile service provider Airtel is guilty of deficiency in service and ordered the company to pay compensatory amounts to the complainant.

In the year 2013, Mr. Abdullah A. Rehman, a city based youth had placed a confirmed order with Airtel Relationship Centre, Paradigm Plaza, AB Shetty Circle, Mangaluru for a SIM card with a specific cellphone number and paid Rs 1750 towards the purchase.

After some time the company contacted Abdullah A. Rehman and informed him that the number paid for is a fancy number and demanded a premium of Rs. 25,000/- from him. When Abdullah Rehman refused to pay the extra amount demanded and insisted that they activate the number already paid for, Airtel went ahead and sold the number to some other customer in Delhi for Rs. 25,000/-

Hence Abdullah A. Rehman decided to seek legal remedy and Dakshina Kannada District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum accepted his complaint on 4th April, 2013. After listening to both parties, Additional Bench of the Forum presided by Mr. Vishweshwara Bhat D. with Mr. T. C. Rajashekar as member found that the service provider was at fault. In its order dated 3rd December 2016, the bench decreed Airtel company to either re-allot and activate the number paid for or alternatively pay Rs. 25,000/- with 9% interest from the date of complaint. It also ordered payment of Rs. 20,000/- as compensation for mental agony and hardship and Rs. 5,000/- towards litigation costs within 30 days of the receiving the order.

Abdullah A. Rehman who received his copy of the order days only few back is jubilant about his victory. “Oftentimes corporates riding high on their power assume that they can get away with their flaws by framing several tiresome procedures. It's unfair they take such matters mildly. Today I am glad that through this order, justice is delivered and rekindled the hope in the common man towards our judiciary,” he says.