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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday disposed of a fresh public interest litigation (PIL) filed against IndiGo Airlines over mass flight cancellations and passenger hardship, holding that the issues raised are already under consideration in an earlier pending writ petition before the Court.
Dictating the order, the Court observed that the issues highlighted in the PIL primarily relate to remedial measures required to address the situation that arose due to the cancellation of a large number of flights and the disruption of services by Respondent No. 3, IndiGo. The Bench of Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that the prayers sought in the petition included directions to pay four times the ticket value as compensation and to direct the Union of India to initiate class action proceedings under the Consumer Protection Act for the award of damages to affected passengers. The Court pointed out that it has already taken cognisance of the larger issue concerning flight disruptions and passenger grievances, and held that the concerns raised in the present PIL can very well be agitated in the earlier writ petition. Referring to the settled jurisprudence on public interest litigations, the Court observed that principles laid down by the Supreme Court and various High Courts permit expansion of the scope of a PIL where issues arise in public interest. The Bench emphasised that multiplicity of proceedings on the same subject matter should be avoided. Accordingly, the Court disposed of the writ petition with liberty to the petitioner to seek impleadment in the earlier pending PIL. It clarified that the petitioner would be permitted to file an appropriate application seeking impleadment in that matter. The petition was moved by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) through its President, Prof. Dr. Vikram Singh, naming the Union of India through the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Department of Consumer Affairs, and InterGlobe Aviation Limited as respondents. Advocate Virag Gupta appeared for the petitioner in the matter. During the hearing, when submissions were made regarding the Court's approach, the Chief Justice remarked, "Do you think this Court is not concerned?", underlining that passenger welfare and public interest remain central to the Court's consideration in the ongoing proceedings. In a recent hearing in a related matter, the Delhi High Court underscored the need to place passenger welfare at the forefront. The Bench had directed IndiGo, the Union government, and the DGCA to strictly comply with prescribed norms on refunds, passenger assistance and compensation, while also flagging concerns over fare surges, pilot fatigue and regulatory preparedness. (ANI)
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