Airtel to pay Rs. 10,000 for disconnecting services without notice

Bharti Airtel has been directed by a consumer forum New Delhi to pay Rs. 10,000 as compensation to a mobile phone subscriber for disconnecting services without any notice.

The North East District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum passed the order on the basis of documents placed on record by the customer as Airtel did not appear before it to contest the complaint against it.

The forum directed the telecom major to "immediately restore" services on the mobile connection of Delhi resident Satish Kumar Donk and awarded him compensation of Rs. 10,000 towards "mental pain, agony and harassment meted out to him" as he was not able to use his mobile connection.

"No reply has been filed from the side of the respondent (Airtel). The case proceeded ex-parte. The allegation made and reiterated in the affidavit and the documents placed on record have not been controverted. In these circumstances, they shall be taken as true," a bench presided by N A Zaidi said.

The bench also comprising its members Poonam Malhotra and Nishat Ahmad Alvi said, "The allegation in the complaint appears to be quiet natural since complainant has been fair in clearly admitting that his services were (initially) restored on his representation. The subsequent stoppage of services without any notice, thus, amount to deficiency in service."

Donk in his complaint had said that under the number portability policy of the government he had applied for changing his service provider to Airtel on February 8, 2011.

His application was accepted and he had become an Airtel subscriber, but on March 7, 2011 services to his number were disconnected without notice, Donk had said.

Thereafter, on a representation made by him, services were restored for a brief period on March 21, 2011, he had said adding that soon after his number was again disconnected and since then services had not been restored.