With easy access to knowledge, people are becoming more and more aware of consumer rights every day to avoid unfair trading deals. Businesses are obligated to serve the customer interest above all, but many times, customers are being tricked and exploited. The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) was introduced in 1986 to eliminate this and make the trade process a fair practice. The intent of CPA was to solve customer issues and help establish Consumer Councils and other authorities for the settlement of customer disputes.
Consumer protection rights have empowered Indian consumers to stand up for their rights. In India, several customers won their cases for as little as one rupee despite the wheels of justice in consumer courts spinning slowly. Other customers are still fighting long-running legal fights to hold corporations and the government accountable.
A One-Rupee Fight
Bhagwan Karia, an RTI activist, is an ideal example of how to stand for your rights as a customer. Bhagwan fought a one-rupee case in Mumbai’s consumer court and won against the Indian Railway and a private firm. The entire event started when Bhagwan Karia started checking weights on a scale at a railway station in Mumbai. A normal weight-measuring practice turned into a harsh battle that uncovered a huge scandal and corruption within the system.
Speaking about consumer rights in India to an online publication, Bhagwan said, “Around eight years ago, I went to the Mulund station in Mumbai, used the weighing machine there, and put in a two rupee coin to check my weight. I didn’t even get a ticket or reading in one machine; my weight was shown as 15 kgs more in the second weighing machine. Then I went to the Mulund station master and told him, “Sir, please give my Rs.4 back”. So, he called me a “madman”. I told him, “I am not a madman. I am a common man. Today, you may think of me as a madman, but tomorrow, you will know the power of this common man whom you identify as a madman. ”
Bhagwan promptly submitted a Right to Information (RTI) petition and discovered that the railways were earning a 60% profit from the weighing scales at railway stations, with the remaining 40% going to a private company. Further investigation revealed that even a portion of this profit was being siphoned off by station masters and private company agents, resulting in significant revenue losses for Indian Railways. Taking note of these findings, Bhagwan pursued legal action by filing a case involving a nominal sum of one rupee.
Subsequently, when the consumer court delivered its ruling, Bhagwan revealed that the company was fined Rs. 50 lakh for failing to display their license number on the weighing machines. “All of this transpired due to my one-rupee case. Many people question why I contested over a mere rupee. It’s not just about that amount. I expended more funds from my own pocket to fight for one rupee. The intention wasn’t solely to reclaim the sum. It was about fostering a more transparent and accountable system for the benefit of the common man.”
A Man Who Brought Insurance Company on Knees
Another inspiring case of the fight for consumer rights is of KR Srinivas from Bangalore. He registered a case against an insurance company that refused to give him health coverage after he had a severe heart ailment. “I had taken an insurance policy from the Syndicate Bank, and the insurance company was United India Insurance Company. Then, the Syndicate Bank merged with the Canara Bank, and my insurance was forcibly shifted to Bajaj Allianz. This was not my choice. I had chest pain and was admitted to Sagar Hospital in Bangalore. The doctors did an angiogram on me and said a stent had to be placed. The hospital authorities gave me the documents, but Bajaj Allianz refused to give cashless approval, and I wasn’t paid anything,” stated Srinivas.
Srinivas filed an application in the court, advocated himself, and won the case against the insurance firm. Regarding the case, Srinivas told an online publication, “My bill was Rs.1,62,000. I went to the consumer court in Bangalore. I produced all the papers to the court, and I argued on my own. Judgment came in my favor. I finally got my money and was also given a compensation of Rs.25,000 for the mental agony that I went through and Rs.10,000 for legal expenses with 12 percent interest per annum for the entire amount from the date of discharge from the hospital to the final settlement day”.
While World Consumer Rights Day was observed on March 15, many consumer rights activists say India’s record for delivering justice to consumers is abysmally poor. Consumer courts in India do not redress grievances on a fast-track basis, and because of this, the consumers’ faith in the justice delivery system has taken a beating.
