Bhubaneswar: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Nayagarh, has held Gopal Vittal, CEO of Bharti Airtel, liable for unfair trade practice and causing harassment to one Amabhanjan Mishra, a resident of Odisha’s Gopalpur
Vittal has been directed to pay Rs 3,00,000 as compensation to Mishra. Bharti Airtel will also provide 36 days of unlimited talk time to Mishra, apart from paying a further Rs 10,000 as litigation costs.
In his June 17, 2022, complaint, Mishra had claimed that Bharti Airtel was cheating him of a day’s validity every time he recharged the pack for 28 days. He provided necessary evidence in the form of messages from the company that revealed how the validity of the pack was reduced by a day in case of non-recharge of the same pack earlier availed by him.
“The company has concealed the secret plan and exploited the consumer through a condition to which attention of the consumer has not been drawn. Even after the recharge, no message is being sent to the consumer stating therein that the validity has been reduced by one day for non-recharge of the same pack availed by the consumer previously. This is a clean case of unfair trade practice and the company is squarely liable for practicing unfair trade practice and causing harassment for the complainant,” the Commission observed.
In its order, the Commission has directed the company to pay the compensation of Rs 300,000 and litigation costs of Rs 10,000 to the complainant within 30 days of receipt of the order. If the company fails to do so, an interest at 12% per annum will be charged from the date of the order till the date of compliance.
