Spicejet directed to refund ticket amount with interest to Iranna Kadadi

Belagavi: The additional district consumer disputes redressal commission (ADCDRC), Belagavi, has directed SpiceJet Airlines to refund the full ticket amount collected from Rajya Sabha member Iranna Kadadi, along with interest, compensation and litigation costs, in a case related to the issuance of defective tickets.Kadadi had purchased two flight tickets — a Delhi to Bengaluru ticket worth Rs 5,004 on Oct 9, 2020, and a Bengaluru to Delhiticket costing Rs 5,923 on Nov 9, 2020. After completing the journey, he submitted the tickets for reimbursement to the competent authority. However, his claim was rejected because the tickets were issued as ‘coupon tickets’ and were non-reimbursable.Alleging a deficiency in service and negligence on the part of the airline, Kadadi approached the consumer commission in 2021, stating that he had suffered inconvenience and mental distress due to the issue. Notices were issued to SpiceJet and the ticketing platform EaseMyTrip. While SpiceJet failed to appear before the commission and was set ex parte, EaseMyTrip contended that it had only acted as an intermediary and could not be held liable.After examining the case, commission chairman Mahantesh Shigli and member Girishgouda Patil held SpiceJet responsible for deficiency in service, observing that the airline had issued defective or improper tickets. The commission ordered the airline to refund the total amount of Rs 10,927 with 9% annual interest from Nov 9, 2020. It also directed SpiceJet to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for mental agony and Rs 5,000 towards litigation charges.Speaking to TOI, Kadadi said that despite paying for the tickets, he was issued complimentary coupons, which led to the rejection of his reimbursement claim at Sansad Bhavan. He described the episode as embarrassing, particularly as he was a fresh parliamentarian at the time.Kadadi said he initially attempted to resolve the matter by issuing legal notices to SpiceJet’s headquarters in Noida. But the airlineallegedly refused to accept them. He subsequently approached the consumer court and pursued the case. “Money does not matter, but the humiliation I faced does,” he said.Advocate Shrikant S Pati (Hulagabalikar) represented Kadadi in the proceedings.