Forced to attend conference in borrowed suit after airline loses bag, banker wins Rs 15,000

A senior UCO Bank officer who was forced to attend a crucial national conference in borrowed clothes after IndiGo misplaced his checked-in baggage has won Rs 15,000 in compensation, with a consumer forum in Himachal Pradesh holding the airline guilty of “gross deficiency in service” and terming its conduct “unprofessional and reckless”.

Kangra District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission president Hemanshu Mishra and members Arti Sood and Narayan Thakur were hearing a complaint filed by one Kamal Kumar Sharma, an assistant general manager (AGM) with UCO Bank, against IndiGo Airlines over the loss of his checked-in baggage during a connecting journey from Delhi to Diu.

“The unprofessional and reckless manner in which the opposite party (IndiGo) acted stands fully established. Consequently, we hold that the opposite party is guilty of gross deficiency in service,” the commission said on June 29.

The case stemmed from Sharma’s official trip on January 10, 2025, to attend UCO Bank’s quarterly review conference in Diu. Although the flight delay was caused by dense winter fog in Delhi, the commission ruled that the airline’s handling of the baggage was a separate issue for which it remained accountable.

Embarrassing ordeal

According to the complaint, Sharma booked his Delhi-Diu ticket via Ahmedabad on December 24, 2024, for Rs 16,108. His trip included a 3.5-hour layover, which was reduced after the Delhi-Ahmedabad flight was delayed by more than three hours due to poor visibility caused by fog.

After landing at Ahmedabad, Sharma was rushed through transit security to take the connecting flight to Diu. Since both flights were operated by IndiGo, he argued that the responsibility for transferring his checked baggage rested entirely with the airline.

However, when he landed in Diu around 1 pm, his suitcase was nowhere to be found. The missing baggage, Sharma said, contained his formal business suits, presentation folders and sensitive financial reports required for the conference scheduled later that evening.

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Borrowed clothes, missing files

Sharma alleged that airline staff at Diu airport neither traced the luggage promptly nor extended meaningful assistance. Instead, he had to repeatedly request them before they registered a property irregularity report (PIR).

Unable to buy suitable formal wear in the small town before the event, Sharma said he had no option but to borrow clothes, shoes and a tie from fellow bankers attending the conference. He ultimately participated in the high-profile meeting wearing ill-fitting borrowed clothes and without his presentation documents, causing him deep embarrassment and affecting his professional image, the complaint stated.

IndiGo blames weather

IndiGo admitted that Sharma’s Delhi flight was delayed because of dense fog and low visibility but argued that the disruption was beyond its control.

The airline said it had immediately registered a PIR after the baggage was reported missing and escalated the matter to its ‘Central Baggage Tracing Unit’. Since no additional flights were available to Diu that day, it claimed the baggage was transported separately and delivered safely to the address provided by Sharma on the very same day. On that basis, the airline denied any deficiency in service.

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‘Serious breach of duty’

Calling the airline’s conduct a “serious breach of duty of care”, the commission held that handing over a passenger’s checked-in baggage containing clothes and important documents to unauthorised persons without proper acknowledgement amounted to gross deficiency in service.

It noted that IndiGo failed to produce any delivery receipt, signed acknowledgement or official record proving that the baggage had actually been handed over to Sharma.

Instead, it emerged during arguments that the suitcase had been handed over to acquaintances or friends of the complainant and was finally received by him only around midnight, hours after the conference had ended.

The commission also noted that Sharma’s allegation that the airline’s ground staff behaved rudely and remained uncooperative went unrebutted, as no affidavit from the concerned employees was filed.

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Allowing the complaint, the commission directed IndiGo to pay Sharma Rs 15,000 as compensation for the humiliation, mental agony and harassment he suffered, along with Rs 7,500 towards litigation costs. It also ordered that if the amount is not paid within 30 days, the compensation will carry interest at 9 per cent per annum from the date the complaint was filed until its realisation.

Consumer takeaway

Even if your flight is delayed due to bad weather, an airline remains responsible for safely transferring and delivering your checked baggage. If mishandling of baggage causes you financial loss, humiliation or significant inconvenience, you can seek compensation before a consumer commission.

Aggrieved consumers may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Himachal Pradesh helpline: 1800-180-8087) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.