Dharmveer Kumar v. Union Of India Through The Principal Sect. Aviation Dept., Central Secretariat, Govt. Of India

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

Criminal Writ Jurisdiction Case No.1439 of 2024 Arising Out of PS. Case No.- Year-0 Thana- District- Patna ====================================================== Dharmveer Kumar Son Of Ramgulam Paswan Resident Of VillageChintaman Chak, Po- Gowesa Shikh Pura, PS- Pandark Dist- Patna ... ... Petitioner

Versus

1.

Union Of India through the Principal Sect. Aviation Dept., Central Secretariat, Govt. Of India New Delhi 2.

CEO, Indigo Air, Mehrauli, Gurugaon, Haryana-122002 3.

Administration, Jayprakash Narayan Airport, Patna 4.

Administration, Air Indigo, Mumbai- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Internal Airport, Mumbai, Terminal-2 Navpad, Vile Parle East, Vile Parle, Mumbai, Maharashtra- 400099.

... ... Respondents ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

None For the Respondent/s :

Mr. Dr. Krishna Nandan Singh (Addl. S.G) ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SANDEEP KUMAR ORAL ORDER 17-04-2025 None appears for the petitioner when the matter is called.

2.

This writ petition has been filed for a direction upon the respondent authorities to pay the cost of air ticket and hotel fair to the petitioner. Further prayer has been made to award the cost of litigation and also to suitably compensate the petitioner for the loss and damage caused to him on account of illegal and arbitrary action of the respondents. 3.

The crux of the matter, as is evident from the

Patna High Court CR. WJC No.1439 of 2024(2) dt.17-04-2025 2/3 pleadings of the petitioner, is that the petitioner was denied to travel to the Republic of Maldives. The petitioner had on 10.06.2024 booked a one way ticket from Patna to Maldives (having layover stop at Mumbai) through IndiGo Airlines on flight 6E-6619 for his onward travel which was scheduled for 15.06.2024. Subsequently, the petitioner also booked a return ticket back to India from Maldives on 15.06.2024 which was scheduled for 13.08.2024 via IndiGo airlines on flight 6E1128/6E-5126. For his stay, the petitioner had also reserved a hotel located at Maaveyo Goalhi, Maldives; however, the reservation was only for one night, from 16.06.2024 till 17.06.2024. The said hotel reservation was made on 15.06.2024. 4.

Upon a query being made by the groundstaff of the airlines regarding non-reservation of hotel for the entire duration of his stay in Maldives, the petitioner had attempted to explain his position that since online reservations are expensive therefore he had only reserved the hotel for one day however subsequently the petitioner purchased a return ticket from Maldives to Mumbai on IndiGo flight 6E-1132 which was scheduled for 17.06.2024 and cancelled his earlier return ticket which was scheduled for 13.08.2024. 5.

The petitioner was thereafter allowed to

Patna High Court CR. WJC No.1439 of 2024(2) dt.17-04-2025 3/3 board and travel till Mumbai where he states that he even exchanged Rs. 17,200 Indian currency, however he was stopped from boarding and travelling to Maldives at the boarding gate no.68-B of Mumbai Airport.

6.

The petitioner had made numerous attempts to explain that the Republic of Maldives allows ordinary Indian passport holders to travel 'visa-free' and the petitioner has a valid passport along with both to and fro tickets along with valid hotel reservation. however, despite multiple attempts the petitioner was denied boarding and his boarding pass was also cancelled.

7.

After going through the records, I am of the view that this dispute is not maintainable before this Court in criminal writ jurisdiction but it is maintainable before the Consumer Commission.

8.

Hence, this writ petition is dismissed with the liberty to the petitioner to approach the District Consumer Commission/State Consumer Commission for redressal of his grievances in accordance with law.

(Sandeep Kumar, J) pawan/- U T