Man overcharged 21p by train firm in 1999 wins refund after 22-year court battle
An Indian lawyer has won a 22-year court battle demanding a refund for the 21p he was overcharged on a ticket back in 1999.
Tungnath Chaturvedi, 66, was finally given the money back last week, along with two decades worth of interest – a grand total of £2.90.
He was also given the £154 fine imposed on the country’s national rail carrier.
Mr Chaturvedi said afterwards: ‘You can’t put a price on the energy and time I’ve lost fighting the case.’
He revealed he had attended more than 100 court hearings over the years and his family had repeatedly urged him to stop wasting his time.
But he added: ‘It’s not the money that matters. This was always about a fight for justice and a fight against corruption, so it was worth it.’
The incident occurred when Mr Chaturvedi, from Uttar Pradesh, was travelling from Mathura to Moradabad.
Two tickets should have cost 70 rupees, but when he handed over 100 for the pair the clerk only gave him 10 back, according to the BBC.
After his complaint fell on deaf ears, the lawyer decided to sue North East Railway (Gorakhpur) – a section of the Indian Railways – and the booking clerk in a consumer court in Mathura.
He said it took so long because of the slow pace of the Indian justice system.
Mr Chaturvedi said he hoped his example would inspire others by showing them that ‘one doesn’t need to give up even when the fight looks tough’.
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