‘Rlys liable for theft from reserved AC coach’

‘Rlys liable for theft from reserved AC coach’ 

Pankul.Sharma@timesofindia.com 08.10.2026

Dehradun: Uttarakhand state consumer disputes redressal commission has held Railways liable for theft of a passenger’s belongings from a reserved AC coach, saying failure to prevent unauthorised entry amounted to negligence and deficiency in service. The commission upheld a district consumer panel’s finding against railways and directed them to pay Rs 37,222 with 7% annual interest, besides Rs 10,000 as litigation costs. 

The ruling, pronounced on Oct 5, came on an appeal filed by Union of India and railways against a May 11, 2022, order passed in favour of Lila Dhar Dobhal and his family. The case arose from the family’s journey on Mewar Express from Udaipur to New Delhi on July 1, 2018. They were travelling on reserved berths in AC 3-tier coach B-2 when, around 4am the following day near Mathura, unauthorised persons allegedly entered the compartment and snatched a bag belonging to Dobhal’s wife while she was asleep. 

The complainants said the assailant jumped from the moving train with the bag. They alleged that the coach attendant, travelling ticket examiner and RPF personnel could not be found immediately after the theft and that the coach and vestibule doors had been left unlocked in the night, enabling unauthorised persons to enter the reserved compartment. Railway authorities had denied deficiency in service and also challenged the complaint on grounds of territorial jurisdiction and maintainability.