A consumer court has ordered three Pakistan Post employees to pay Rs 90,000 as damages for tampering with a 10-kg dry fruit parcel belonging to a man and replacing its contents with dust and garbage.
Consumer Protection Court (South) Judge Saifullah Phalpoto directed the respondents – Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Abdullah and Muhammad Arshad – to pay Rs 75,000 compensation each to the complainant Muhammad Arshad for “defective and defective services” and 15,000 as litigation expenses.
The judge ordered the three employees to pay a fine of five thousand rupees to the provincial government. Arshad, through his lawyer Abdul Hanan, filed a claim in 2021, stating that on December 10, 2020, he booked a parcel containing 10 kg of expensive dry fruits from Mansehra GPO to Karachi Cantt HPO for delivery. had gone He said the dry fruits were for his daughter’s engagement ceremony, which was scheduled to take place on December 20. However, he added that when he went to collect the parcel at the Karachi Cantt office on December 14, he found that it had been tampered with and tampered with dry fruits. were missing, and the parcel was instead filled with dust and debris.
He said a departmental inquiry was initiated by the respondents — Divisional Superintendent, Postal Services South, Divisional Superintendent Karachi Division, and Senior Postmaster HPO Cantt — and three employees in a recommendation letter issued on May 21, 2021. was held responsible for the alleged theft. and asked them to pay Rs 333 (total Rs 1,000) to the complainant. He further said that this amount is insignificant and unfair as the price of the parcel of dry fruits was Rs 12,500. On denial of reimbursement of the principal amount, the claimant said that he sent them a legal notice and later filed an instant complaint.
Arshad pleaded with the court to order the defendants to pay Rs 500,000 each as compensation for loss of honor and damage to reputation as they were unable to serve dry fruits to the invited guests. Because of this he was embarrassed in front of everyone. He further requested the court to order him to pay Rs 50,000 as legal fees as well as 10 kg of dry fruits.
In his detailed order, the judge observed that the three employees acted negligently and provided poor service. “Courier service providers are under a legal obligation to deliver the consignment in its original form when sent and if they fail to do so, they are guilty of non-delivery and such action constitutes a deficiency in service. I come.” he observed.
He ruled that the complainant had succeeded in proving that the respondents had rendered poor and defective services, causing him financial loss and mental stress. The judge said that though the complainant had not adduced any evidence to support the claim of damage to his reputation and dignity and the claim of Rs 500,000, but when such circumstances arise, a person has to somehow suffer mental agony and Goes through agony. He pointed out that the complainant has also failed to bring any material on record to show that he suffered loss in connection with the sending and molestation. “It was incumbent on the complainant to show the damages as claimed and prayed for. Therefore, the complainant would be presumptively entitled to recover damages,” he opined. .
None appeared on behalf of the three respondents who were held responsible for poor service. A counsel appearing for the other three public respondents contended that the claim was not maintainable and should be dismissed as filed out of time. He said that the complainant booked the parcel without mentioning the details of the goods and the price of the goods and he did not insure the parcel, adding that neither the price of the parcel was disclosed by the complainant. Nor was the parcel insured. Therefore, the compensation amount of Rs.1,000 was in accordance with the prescribed rules.