HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-III, Hyderabad, has held IndiGo Airlines liable for deficiency in service after a passenger's baggage was wrongly tagged and sent to Sydney instead of Singapore, leading to loss of valuables and medicines.
The Commission partly allowed the complaint filed by Bande Meenakshi, 69, a resident of Ramkote, and directed the airline to pay ₹2,00,000 as compensation and ₹10,000 towards litigation costs.
Wrong tagging sent baggage to Sydney instead of Singapore
According to the complaint, Meenakshi travelled to Singapore on February 17, 2025, on IndiGo flight. On arrival, her check-in baggage did not appear on the conveyor belt.
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It was later found that airline staff had mistakenly tagged her baggage under another passenger's name and routed it to Sydney. The bag, weighing 30 kg, contained valuables including dry fruits, a silver cup, gifts, a silk saree, and diabetic medicines worth about ₹75,000.
Bag returned after 10 days with missing items
The baggage was delivered after 10 days. The complainant found it damaged, with a broken wheel and reduced weight of 15 kg. Several items, including medicines, were missing.
Despite repeated follow-ups, the airline allegedly failed to provide a proper response and offered only a ₹3,000 credit note, which the complainant rejected.
The complainant said she had to switch medicines in Singapore, affecting her health, and cut short her trip, incurring additional costs.
Commission cites negligence, awards compensation
The Commission observed that wrongly tagging baggage under another passenger's name constituted clear negligence and deficiency in service. It held that once baggage is accepted, the airline acts as a "bailee" under the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and is responsible for its safe delivery.
Referring to a National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ruling inAir India Ltd vs Tushar Kothari, the panel noted that airlines are liable for loss and mishandling of baggage.
It concluded that the complainant suffered financial loss, mental agony, and health issues due to the airline's actions.
Order and compliance
The Commission directed IndiGo to:
Pay ₹2,00,000 as compensation
Pay ₹10,000 as litigation costs
The rest of the claims were dismissed. The airline has been given 45 days to comply with the order, pronounced on March 16, 2026.