LI Network
Published on: October 3, 2023 at 16:59 IST
A recent judgment by a district consumer forum in Hyderabad has compelled India Post to provide ₹20,000 in compensation to a retired IPS officer whose parcel was subjected to tampering, resulting in missing items.
The complainant, VK Singh, asserted that he had dispatched four packages containing various items through India Post at the General Post Office in Hyderabad. Singh further alleged that an individual present during the delivery suggested that he intentionally unpack the parcels.
VK Singh specified that one of the parcels contained saris and bed sheets, while another contained shirts, pants, medical books, plastic containers, and various other items. Upon arrival at their destination in Haridwar, Singh noticed that ten saris worth ₹20,000 were missing. He submitted video recordings taken during both dispatch and delivery, clearly demonstrating evidence of tampering.
Furthermore, Singh claimed that previous instances of tampering had also been reported.
With no alternative recourse, Singh sought resolution through the consumer forum.
India Post, in its written response, contended that upon investigating the complaint, they determined that the articles had been received at the post office in proper condition and were subsequently delivered to the recipient on June 13, 2022.
They also pointed out that the complainant had not declared the value of the articles and suggested that if the items were indeed valuable, they could have been insured for their intrinsic value when sent as registered parcels.
The bench held postal department officials responsible for the loss and mandated India Post to compensate Singh with ₹20,000. Additionally, the consumer forum ordered the postal department to cover ₹5,000 in complaint-related expenses.
Case Title: VK Singh v. India Post
