Tungnath Chaturvedi, 66, was charged 90 rupees instead of 70 rupees when he bought a ticket to Moradabad from Mathura station in Uttar Pradesh in 1999
A lawyer who won a 22-year legal battle against Indian Railways for compensation after being overcharged Rs 20 said that his search for justice was worthwhile.
Tungnath Chaturvedi, 66, was charged 90 rupees instead of 70 rupees when he bought a ticket to Moradabad from Mathura station in Uttar Pradesh in 1999. He complained right away but did not receive a refund.
Chaturvedi filed a complaint with the local consumer court in Mathura against the Indian Railways' North East Railways Service division, and the court ruled in his favor last week, ordering the railways to pay a fine of 15,000 rupees, as well as the outstanding amount plus 12% interest. If the balance is not paid within 30 days, interest will be charged at a rate of 15%.
The ruling was sweet vindication for Chaturvedi but, as he told the BBC: “You can’t put a price on the energy and time I’ve lost fighting this case.”
However, the case exemplifies India's slow legal system, in which litigants are frequently upset by delays and cases can drag on for years, if not decades, in overburdened courts with a backlog of around 50 million cases.
But even as a lawyer representing himself, his victory cost him hundreds of hours of effort, plus Rs 20,000 in fees and other payments. Family and friends tried to convince him to give up the fight over a token sum, but he persisted.
"This wasn't about money but about my rights," he insisted. "As a citizen, it's my right to question the arbitrary and corrupt practises of the state or its machinery," he told AFP.
Equally surprising was that Indian Railways, the country’s largest employer, chose to continue fighting the case.
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 "After 22 years the court ruled in Tungnath Chaturvedi’s favour.")
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