No claim for loss of medicines during flight: Forum

An airline cannot be held liable for the loss of medicines of a passenger during transit, the Delhi Consumer Commission has held while giving relief to international carrier Air France.

"The complainant could not claim any damages for loss of his medicines in baggage in contravention of the provisions given in the ticket," the commission, headed by president Justice Barkat Ali Zaidi, said.

The consumer body passed the order on a plea of one Deepak Gupta, seeking compensation for the deficiency in service by Air France as he lost two baggages during transit which contained his homoeopathic medicines.

Gupta alleged that during his three weeks stay in France he was deprived of the medicines, resulting in relapse of leukaemia.

He claimed Rs 16.5 lakhs (Rs 1.6 million) from the airline but the commission dismissed his plea on the ground that he had put the medicines in the baggage in contravention to the instructions on the air ticket.

The commission noted that Gupta had already received compensation for loss of baggage, following which he had assured not to make any further claims.

"He cannot be allowed to go behind his own undertaking and is barred from making any claims for compensation," the commission said.