GAUHATI HIGH COURT
J.N.Sarma, J.
Indian Airlines Ltd. -Appellant
Versus
Ram Awatar Garodia -Respondent
Misc Appeal (First) No. 275 of 1997
Decided On : 05-06-2000
Damages - Recovery of Damages - Air Corporation Amendment Act, 1971, Indian Airlines Non-International Carriage (Passenger and Baggage) Regulation Act, 1980 - Regulation 3(3) - The court discussed the legality and validity of the judgment and decree dated 15.7.1097 passed by the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Sonitpur in Money Suit No.7 of 1985. The court analyzed the provisions of the Air Corporation Amendment Act, 1971 and Indian Airlines Non-International Carriage (Passenger and Baggage) Regulation Act, 1980. The court highlighted the rights and liabilities of the Indian Airlines under the regulations and their impact on the entitlement of the plaintiffs to claim damages.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiffs filed a suit for recovery of damages amounting to Rs. 1,55,670/- due to the negligence and delay caused by the Indian Airlines in their travel from Tezpur to Calcutta. The plaintiffs claimed financial loss, medical expenses, and damages for mental shock and disruption of business due to the delay caused by the Airlines.
Finding of the Court:
The court found in favor of the plaintiffs, decreeing the suit for an amount of Rs. 55,670/- with interest @ 3% per annum from the date of filing of the suit. The court also directed the judgment-debtor/appellant to deposit the decretal amount, which was subsequently deposited and received by the plaintiffs.
Issues: The court considered various issues including cause of action, maintainability of the suit, limitation, negligence on the part of the defendant, control of the defendant over the delay, and entitlement of the plaintiffs to damages as claimed.
Ratio Decidendi: The court analyzed the provisions of the Air Corporation Amendment Act, 1971 and Indian Airlines Non-International Carriage (Passenger and Baggage) Regulation Act, 1980 to determine the rights and liabilities of the Indian Airlines. The court also applied the principles of contract law, specifically focusing on the doctrine of frustration and section 73 of the Indian Contract Act to assess the entitlement of the plaintiffs to damages.
Final Decision: The court partly allowed the appeal, quashing the decree for medical expenses and interest on damages, and reducing the amount of compensation to Rs. 10,000/- only for mental agony and physical loss due to the delay. The suit was dismissed except for the reduced amount of damages.
2. It is alleged that the plaintiff No. 1 was suffering from Urinary infection and was advised by doctor to go to Calcutta immediately for treatment and accordingly an appointment was fixed with Dr. R. Kumar of Calcutta for check up on 18.4.84. The plaintiff wanted to travel from Tezpur to Calcutta by flight and accordingly purchased two tickets by Fright No.IC-212. The flight was delayed by four hours and left Tezpur Airport at 5.25 PM on 17.4.84 and landed at Guwahati Airport at about 5.45 PM. When the flight landed at Guwahati Airport on 17.4.84, the Airport was locked and there were no staff to receive the Aircraft. An Engineer of the Indian Airlines who was travelling from Dibrugarh by the same flight jumped out of the Aircraft and brought the stairs and helped the plaintiffs and other passengers and the crew to get down from the Aircraft. The passengers had to wait outside the Aircraft for about an hour. The Captain of the flight told that if the Airlines staff comes and releases the Aircraft within 20-25 minutes by off-loading the luggage of the Guwahati bound passengers, there would be sufficient light for the flight to take off for Calcutta. But the staff came after about an hour and as such, the flight had to be grounded there at Guwahati for the night. The plaintiffs along with some other passengers were sent to Hotel North Eastern, Guwahati by the Indian Airlines staff with the information that the flight will go to Calcutta at 9 AM on 18.4.84 and the plaintiffs and other passengers should be ready by 7 AM in the morning for the flight. On the morning of 18.4.84 a six seater coach came to pick up the passengers from the hotel. There were about 12 passengers and all of them could not be accommodated and it was stated that another coach would come. But that coach never arrived and the plaintiffs could go to Calcutta only by IC-230 flight which left Guwahati in the afternoon only. There was gross negligence on the part of the Airlines. The plaintiffs could go to Calcutta by 1C flight No.212 on 18.4.84 after about delay of 3 hours. But to their utter surprise the luggage's were not booked in the flight of IC-212 and the luggages arrived at Calcutta Airport by another flight only after another 11 hours of the arrival of the passengers. The plaintiffs could not avail the appointment with the Doctor on 18.4.84. When he met the Doctor later on, he was told by Doctor that because of the delay there was some infection, for the negligence and delay the plaintiff had to undergo surgery for which the plaintiffs were compelled to stay at Calcutta for 2 months disrupting all the business which caused heavy loss to him. The. children of the plaintiffs had to be shifted to Golaghat where they had to stay for 3 months which caused disruption in the study of the children. For these causes the plaintiffs suffered mental shock besides disrupting business and practice of the plaintiff No.l. The plaintiffs claimed Rs. 1,00,000/- for mental shock, pain of body and mind and another Rs. 40,000/- for financial loss due to disruption of business and practice and Rs. 15,670/-being medical expenses, totalling an amount of Rs. 1,55,670/-. The plaintiffs served registered notice demanding the amount. The reply was sent admitting the delay but expressed their inability to pay the amount as claimed. As such, the suit was filed. In the schedule the claims have been detailed as follows:
(1) Medical expenses incurred at Calcutta Nursing Ho
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