Kolkata: Senior citizens now no longer need to carry government issued identity documents as proof of age while travelling by train.
The National Consumer Comission in a landmark judgement has set at rest all debate over this matter saying that any authentic document that is proof of age will do.
The railways caved when Shipra Sengupta - a lady who was harassaed and humiliated by a railway official for not carrying a government issued identity document as proof of age - decided to take the matter to court.
Sixty-four-year-old Shipra Sengupta who was traveling on a senior citizen's concessional ticket was asked to provide documentary proof of her age.
She didn't have a government issued identity document and the medical reports and doctors prescriptions that she was carrying, which clearly specified her age did not satisfy the official.
Shipra had to cough up Rs 4000. But four years after her unpleasant journey from Kolkatta to Chennai, Shipra is having the last laugh.
"I am very happy . It is a huge moral victory for me," says she.
In its counter argument, the Southern Railways said Shipra Sengupta was fined as she did not have a government authenticated proof of age as required by the railways.
The Commission did not buy the argument and said that this was the wrong interpretation of the clause as the railway ticket only asks for some proof of age and not for a specific proof .
Advocate Sanjay Ghosh says, "The argument of the petitioner was that as a layman the clause reads that any documentary evidence of age is acceptable. So the court accepted the contention of the Consumer."
In this order the court has made another important point of law .
The National Commission has said that checking the proof of age or any verification should be done during the course of the journey and not at its conclusion.
(With inputs from Shiril Mani)
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