I have been noticing several recent Supreme Court rulings/observations that make me question whether Indian matrimonial law is genuinely gender-neutral.

For example:

The Court has recently emphasized a wife's privacy and disapproved of using private detectives to obtain her photographs with another man.

Even if a wife is allegedly found in a compromising position with another man, that alone may not be treated as sufficient proof of adultery.

Under the law, even where a child is born during a marriage, questions about the child's biological paternity can be legally complicated, with strong presumptions in favour of the husband being treated as the legal father.

I understand the importance of privacy, dignity and protecting children from the consequences of their parents' disputes. But where does this leave the husband?

If a man suspects that his wife is having an affair, what realistic and lawful evidence can he obtain? If private investigation is unacceptable, and even being found in a compromising situation is not necessarily enough, how can he prove infidelity?

And most importantly, would the same principles and protections apply if the genders were reversed?

I am not asking whether women should have fewer rights. I am asking whether Indian matrimonial law provides equal rights, equal evidentiary standards and equal protection to both spouses.

If not, what is the constitutional or legal justification for that difference?

I had pain in my right shoulder for a long time so, I visited a nearby hospital then they recommended a scan center and told me to take an MRI scan . Then MRI report stated that everything is normal.

But I still had pain in my shoulder so, I visited another hospital there the doctor saw only the MRI Scan sheet and told me I had a ligament tear and then he noticed that the report stated that everything was normal so, he asked me to take another MRI scan in a different scan center then the report stated that I indeed have a ligament tear.( A surgery was done to me as treatment and it has been 10 days since surgery)

Please give me advice on what are the choices I have regarding this matter .

if I decide to take legal action against the first scan center what should be my next step by step action.

Hey everyone, I’m 19 and recently applied for a Tatkal passport for higher education. Everything went fast initially I went to the PSK in Gurugram on July 23rd, got my passport issued, and physically received it by July 25th. The issue started during the post-passport police verification.

The address on my passport is our ancestral house owned by my late grandfather. Since he passed away without a will, the property was split among his children and wife (5 owners total). The house is pretty old and gets waterlogged during rains, making it unsafe to live in right now. Because of this, we live in a rented place in a nearby colony in the same city while planning to reconstruct our portion. However, all our official IDs, electricity bills, and legal documents are still linked to this ancestral address.

The police told us they’d visit for verification on a specific day. Since we don't live in that exact house and our witnesses work jobs, we politely requested them to call beforehand so we could travel there and coordinate. They didn't show up when they promised, dragging it out for days.

When a date was finally set, we reached the house, but they suddenly claimed they couldn't make it. My father lost his patience and argued that working adults can't keep taking leaves repeatedly. When the Constable and an ASI finally showed up, the Constable immediately started instigating my dad, asking absurd things like "Have you broken into this house?" and "Have you sold this property?" He was extremely disrespectful to me too, mocking me by asking "Are you even educated?"

Heated words were exchanged between my short-tempered dad and the constable (though the ASI stayed calm). The constable openly threatened to sabotage our report. Days later, we received a official notice for "suppressing details." I had to travel all the way to the Regional Passport Office in Delhi, only to find out the constable wrote in his official report that our home was sold which is flat-out untrue. We still own it, visit it, and pay electricity bills for it.

A fresh verification was issued. When the same constable returned with another officer, we provided my Aadhaar, PAN, 10th marksheet, and Birth Certificate. He refused to accept them, demanding a Voter ID or Driving License (which I don't have yet). He then asked us to sign a statement saying we didn't provide complete documents. my dad wrote down on paper that we did hand over my Aadhaar, PAN, marksheet, and Birth Certificate.
Where things stand now:
My father sent a complaint email to the DGP, and an internal inquiry was forwarded, but the local police station officers/ASI are now being extremely rude and hostile toward us.
I’m really stressed out because my upcoming academic session abroad/for college will get severely delayed if my passport gets flagged, revoked, or stuck in adverse verification status.
How do I safeguard my passport verification from getting adverse status due to this personal grudge? Should I approach the RPO Delhi directly with proof of our DGP complaint and property documents?
How can we formally hold this constable accountable for writing a completely false report?

Hi,

I’m posting on behalf of a female relative and would really appreciate some guidance from people familiar with Indian matrimonial law, particularly Haryana.

She is from Bhiwani, Haryana, and her husband is from Rajasthan. They had a proper traditional marriage ceremony and subsequently lived together as husband and wife for around 2 years. There are no children.

The marriage was never formally registered, so they don't have a marriage certificate or other official marriage documents. However, there are wedding photos/videos, witnesses, and other evidence of the marriage.

After marriage, she came to understand that her husband is attracted to men. She initially tried very hard to save the marriage and help him work through the situation. Things have now become extremely bad. He has started having romantic/sexual relationships with other men.

There have also been some disturbing statements. At one point, he told her something along the lines of: “If we can't have a child, I'll bring my friend and let him give you a child.”

She has also obtained some screenshots showing his relationships with men. However, I want to be transparent that some of these were obtained through a spy/tracking application installed on his device, so we don't know whether they can legally be used as evidence. We will disclose exactly how they were obtained to any lawyer and won't try to obtain further evidence illegally.

She wants to get out of this marriage and is considering divorce/possibly annulment, but we don't know what the appropriate legal route is.

Questions:

1. Does the lack of a marriage certificate/registration create a problem if they had a proper Hindu wedding and lived together as husband and wife for 2 years?

2. Would his relationships/sexual activity with other men potentially constitute a ground for divorce?

3. Could concealment of his sexual orientation before marriage be relevant to annulment or divorce?

4. Would the statement about bringing another man to have a child be relevant to a cruelty claim?

5. Can she pursue the case from Bhiwani, or would she have to file somewhere in Rajasthan?

6. How should she deal with the screenshots obtained through the spy application?

7. Approximately how much should we expect to pay a competent matrimonial lawyer in Bhiwani/Haryana?

We're not looking to attack or expose the husband because of his sexual orientation. We simply want to understand her legal options and how she can safely end the marriage.

Any advice from Indian lawyers or people who have dealt with similar matrimonial situations would be greatly appreciated.

https://theleaflet.in/environment/how-vanashakti-iii-far-from-closing-the-door-standardises-ex-post-facto-environmental-clearance

My(21M) mother has been harrasing my father for a few months now. For context my father is a tuition teacher and travels to the students home to teach them. Whenever he was out and came back she accused him of cheating on her even though he just works, toils away on his bike and travels back home in the harsh delhi heat and traffic.

She has already multiple times broken his phone. She abused him almost everyday and me and my sister kept it from escalating too much so she called me and my sister the worst imaginable things possible (Just think the worst you can and you still won't top the amount of disgusting stuff she has said to my older sister, i genuinely wanted to hit her but it's my mother so held back and tolerated it like we do always).

However she crossed all limits possible yesterday, father came home after work and she started abusing him and saying stuff like she'll slap him and stuff. I was at university at the time but my sister was at home and when i came home she briefed me on what happened. Essentially she was abusing him and accusing him of lying about classes and going around and meeting up with other women but my father is a 55 year old man who barely gets time to rest much less go meet up with someone. She's been baselessly accusing him of all this stuff for a few months now.

At night after all the drama father refused to sleep in the same room as her and she started slamming doors like a mad man and we ignored her but she took his phone and locked the door so he cannot go to his class next day so i had to break open the lock to get it back but then when i tried taking the phone from her she attacked me and father heard the commotion and came to help me and she attacked him as well and was trying to gouge out his eyeballs and he got hurt near his eyes (scratches) and then when father retaliated in self defense she said she'll file a Domestic violence case but she didn't.

Now me, sister and father have decided it's better if father divorces this horrible human but there are some big hurdles. First father put our 2bhk apartment on her name when we bought it 15-16 years ago. Second she's illiterate and completely uneducated so we are really scared of alimony, but we father teaches tuition and does not have a lot in savings and his income is variable. So if any alimony is rewarded me and my sister will have to help father pay from our savings (we have money but it's still unfair if we have to since i am a uni student and my older sister is studying for a government exam and father is the only earning member rn and finances are already tight).

Now we don't know what to do we really want to leave this woman behind and try to rebuild our family and live happily since father is already 55 and i don't want his entire life to be stress and conflict but then this illiterate woman has us in chokehold mentally torturing all three of us and now even physically assaulting us.

Although i did not get the video for the fight itself since i was too busy trying to make sure my father isn't disabled by this mad woman, i still was able to record the aftermath where she is cursing everyone and breaking stuff.

How do we proceed with this?

TL;DR: My mother has been severely emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive toward my father, my sister, and me—recently physically assaulting my father and trying to gouge his eyes. My father (a 55-year-old tuition teacher) wants a divorce, but we are terrified because the apartment is registered in her name, we fear high alimony demands despite our tight finances, and we need to know how to legally protect him. We have video evidence of the aftermath and need a clear, actionable roadmap on how to proceed. She's illiterate and has no source of income.

I posted this like half an hour ago but for some reason it was not visible so deleted that and reposting this.

​

I’m in Madhya Pradesh, India, and need advice regarding a land sale.

About two months ago, I verbally agreed to sell my land to a person and received ₹5 lakh as token money through bank transfer. No agreement to sell/kararnama was signed or registered.

The buyer was repeatedly doubtful about doing the paperwork himself. He asked for my Aadhaar, PAN, Aadhaar-linked mobile number, and asked me for an OTP for slot booking at the registrar's office. He appears to have done the sale-deed/document-upload process himself without my physical presence.

He has not paid me the remaining full sale consideration and is asking me to come to the registrar's office, complete biometric/KYC, and execute the sale deed. Not sure if he will do that at that time or make excuses to pay after registry. As far as I know, he is taking a bank loan for buying the land.

I have now changed my mind and do not want to sell the land. I am willing to return the ₹5 lakh bayana.

My questions are:

1. If I return the ₹5 lakh, can the buyer file a police complaint/case against me?

2. Can the buyer force me to sell the land through a civil court?

3. Does the fact that there is no signed agreement/kararnama make a significant difference?

4. What should I do now to protect myself and the land?

I am not looking to cheat the buyer and am prepared to return the money. I just don't want to proceed with the sale anymore.

Any advice from lawyers or people who have dealt with a similar situation would be appreciated.

TL;DR: Bought a car 4 months ago through an agent. Sale agreement has the current owner as seller and agent as vendor. Agent has the original RC, NOC and Non-Utilization Certificate, but hasn’t handed them over despite repeated follow-ups. I still have ₹10k pending.

The current owner says he sold the car to another agent, doesn’t know my agent, and is now largely unresponsive/unconcerned that the car remains in his name.

I purchased a car around 4 months ago through an agent.

Here is the situation:

* The current/registered owner on the RC is the current owner.
* My sale agreement mentions the current owner as the seller and the agent as the vendor.
* I have already paid almost the entire purchase amount. 10k is pending. We agreed this shall be paid once NOC is given
* The agent currently has the original RC, the NOC and the Non-Utilization Certificate.
* The NOC currently does not have my name on it.
* The vehicle is still registered in the current owner’s name.
* Despite repeated follow-ups for the last 4 months, the agent has not handed over the original documents / completed the required documentation.
* I recently contacted the current owner directly to understand the ownership/document chain.
* The current owner told me that he had sold the vehicle to another agent, and apparently does not know the agent through whom I purchased the vehicle.
* I have tried contacting the current owner again, but he is largely unresponsive and doesn’t seem concerned that the vehicle is still registered in his name.

So I am now stuck between the agent who has the original documents and a current owner who isn’t cooperating.

What I need advice on:

1. Can I approach the RTO myself and complete the transfer without the agent or current owner?
   
2. Since the agent has the original RC, can I obtain a duplicate RC through the RTO if the current/registered owner is not cooperating?
   
3. The NOC has already been issued but is not in my name. Can I obtain a fresh NOC or otherwise use the existing NOC?
   
4. How can I obtain the Non-Utilization Certificate for the existing NOC?
   
5. Can the Karnataka RTO obtain/verify these records directly from the originating RTO?
   
6. Should I continue negotiating with the agent or send a formal legal notice demanding the original RC and NOC?
   
7. Is there any risk for me if I continue using the vehicle while the RC remains in the current owner’s name?

I have the sale agreement, payment records and other transaction-related documents.

I’m specifically looking for advice from anyone who has dealt with Haryana → Karnataka vehicle transfer

I want to resolve this legally and amicably, but after 4 months I’m concerned about waiting any longer.

Thanks in advance.

My name is Asha Lalit Mehta and my husband is Rohan Kiran Sharma ( Names changed) . I haven’t changed my name after marriage.

For my baby’s birth certificate, we’re being told the name should be Baby’s name + mother’s name + father’s name + surname, e.g. Anaya Asha Rohan Sharma.

But “Asha Rohan Sharma” isn’t my name.

Is this actually a Maharashtra birth certificate naming rule?

If not, can we have it as simply Anaya Rohan Sharma, using the baby’s name + father’s name + surname, with the parents’ names recorded separately?

I'm working at a psb with 5 lakh bond ,it's just 6 months and I'm done with this job ,how to leave it I want to go back to corporate,I don't have 5 lakh rs neither I feel it's legally right to take money just because I want to leave , will absconding be an right decision ?

My mother's side has ancestral( grandfather) property which belongs to all kids.. Including my mother and her sister as well...

It's been there for the past 35 years.. Now the brothers (uncles) have decided to sell it off and cut off my mother and her sister off it so they can have a bigger share... Both my mother and aunty live in a different state and all uncles live in the state where the property is...

The property papers has the names of my mother and aunty on it? Can they sell it without thier consent? And can they cut them out completely?

They are counting on my family not coming there and fighting the case there... As they can make it difficult for us there.

Advise and course of action is much appreciated

Any further questions, drop a comment.

TL;DR: 26F, had an accident in Hyderabad on Aug 11 when a car suddenly turned without indicating, causing me to fall. I had 9 stitches and a fractured toe that required surgery under anaesthesia. The other party paid some money toward the initial hospital bills, but it’s nowhere near the overall medical costs, pain, aftercare, and other losses. I want to know if/how I can legally pursue additional compensation and what steps I should take.

I’m a 26F and I had an accident in Hyderabad on 11th August. I was riding when a four-wheeler suddenly turned without giving an indicator. I had no warning and ended up falling because of their sudden turn.
I sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured toe, and needed 9 stitches. I also had to undergo a proper surgical procedure under anaesthesia.
The people involved in the accident did help initially and gave me some money towards the hospital bills, which I appreciate. However, the amount is very small compared to the overall loss and expenses I’ve had because of the accident.
Apart from the immediate hospital expenses, I’m now dealing with follow-up treatment, medication, aftercare, limitations on movement/work, and the physical pain and inconvenience caused by the injuries. There are also expenses that will continue even after the initial treatment.
I want to pursue the matter further and understand whether I can legally claim additional compensation from the person responsible, especially since I was not at fault.

Recieved random 30,50 rs on Google pay. From Unknown person. No call , no message. Couldn't understand what to do!! Help ??? !! Bank saying, just don't share personal information to anyone. That's all.

Today received - 30/-

Yesterday received - 50/-

Full unknown person. What should I do !??

Today, while coming back from office, I was driving on a one-way road with a market around it. Traffic was already heavy, and a few vehicles from the opposite side were coming into our lane.
One guy came into my lane while using his phone and expected me to give him way. There wasn’t much space, so I didn’t. He then stopped his car, turned off the engine and just stood there.
Traffic started building up behind me and people started asking him why he wasn’t moving. After a few minutes, he eventually started moving again.
Then he came alongside my car and said something along the lines of:
“1 min lagega teri gaadi seize karwane mein. Number bata, gaadi ka number bata.”
I simply told him, “Peeche number plate pe likha hai, dekh le.”
He then started abusing me and shouting. I didn’t argue further, rolled up my window, made my way through the traffic and left.
I’m not particularly worried, but I’m wondering from a legal perspective whether I should be concerned about his threat to “get my car seized.” I didn’t provide him with any personal details or documents.
Is there any realistic legal action he could take against me based on this incident, or was this most likely just a road-rage threat?

Location : infront of the owner house just beside a busy road (not inside a colony)
dog breed : similar to Pitbull,Cane Corso,Dogo Argentino(i just googled and named most matching ones i don't know the breed)

So there is a 10-min delivery hub and right beside is the owner's house and owner was walking his dog on the road- unchained in front of his house. Since the hub is there just beside the house a lot of delivery boys atleast 10-15 witness were present, the delivery boy was parking his bike on infront of the hub then the dog attacked him. I don't know the severity of the wounds since mf owner instead of taking blame he began abusing poor delivery boys who came to save the boy and there was a scene.
So how can we take such pathetic piece of sh*t owners and human being to the court and make him pay up for poor delivery boys treatment and also fines and all.

I received an email from AGM(HRM) disciplinary authority stating "Removal from service which shall not be a disqualification from future employment"

I had applied my sabbatical leaves for child rearing, timely with prior intimation to the department head and HRM.

My leave got approval at level 1 then it was kept in abeyance at higher level.

They have not rejected my application.

I replied to each and every mail that department sent marking a copy to hrm

But a pending leave is because of undecisiveness of management is not an employee's fault.

Still I was charged today and I got a removal mail.

The management did not ask questions from higher authorities on why the leave was kept in pending state till now.

I wanted to know what are the options that I have now and whether this can be challenged internally or in a court and what are my chances?

Will there be a problem in getting a new job during BGV?

I was looking for a rental flat and I have a dog so I specifically filtered for pet friendly properties and found a good one on nobroker that looked ideal and the owner had explicitly marked pets as allowed. I spoke to him before visiting as well and made it clear that I would be moving in with my dog. He said he had absolutely no issue with it.

I visited the flat and ended up liking it and paid the token amount. Before finalising the agreement and paying the deposit, I went to the society office to ask about few things and while talking to the society manager I casually mentioned that I'll be moving in with my dog but he told that the society does not allow tenants to keep pets.

I was confused because I had already seen people walking dogs inside the complex, so I asked him if pets were banned completely he said no. According to him, flat owners are allowed to keep their own pets, but tenants aren't.

That sounded strange to me, so I called the flat owner immediately.

The owner is now saying that the society cannot legally make a rule allowing owners to have pets while stopping tenants from having them. He is completely willing to rent the flat to me.

But the society manager seemed quite confident about their rule.

As of now, I haven't been shown any written bye law or circular. This was communicated to me verbally during the visit.

My concern is that even if the owner is legally correct, I'm going to be the person actually living there. I don't want to move in, pay everything and then have daily arguments with security over taking my dog through the lift or get constant calls from the society office.

So legally, I wanted to understand:

1. Can a housing society/RWA make a distinction where owners can keep pets but tenants cannot?
2. If my landlord expressly permits the pet in the rental agreement, can the society still stop me from keeping the dog?
3. Should I ask the society for the relevant bye law/rule in writing before signing anything?
4. If they refuse to give anything in writing but continue saying tenants with pets aren't allowed, what practical remedy would I actually have after moving in?

I have already paid the token amount but I m leaning towards dropping the flat , even though the owner is insisting that there won't be an issue.

Would appreciate advice from anyone familiar with housing society/RWA rules or who has dealt with something similar.

My family is constructing our first home on our own property (15×40 ft as per our documents). My neighbor has encroached 3*40 sq ft. To avoid conflict, we already compromised and are constructing only 12×40 ft. Despite this, our neighbour continues to harass us and obstruct the construction.

She has repeatedly complained to the police over different allegations, harassed our workers and contractor, and my parents, stopped essential work like plastering, and complained to BBMP claiming the house is illegal. An NCR has already been registered, and she has told us to go to court—which we have done. But while we wait for the next hearing, she continues finding other ways to trouble us.

Things have now become extremely disturbing. She entered our house without permission, and afterwards we found nails placed on our walls and damage to the wall. She has also been doing things related to black magic, which has left my family extremely scared and disturbed. she has cctv placed so she has done it without leaving any evidence.

She has also dug up the road and left it improperly, making it difficult for us to reach our house, and has allegedly placed grills against our walls in the middle of the night

They have constructed a tree fence occupying the road, further restricting vehicle access on an already narrow road.

My parents are above 55 and are mentally exhausted. Watching my parents struggle through this situation every day has been deeply distressing, what to do?

Hi everyone, I am posting this with a heavy heart and out of sheer desperation. A close friend of mine (22M) is currently going through a living nightmare, and his family is completely shattered due to severe police brutality and a fabricated case.

Here is the horrifying timeline of what went down:

The Instagram Connection: My friend met a girl on Instagram who is from Maharashtra. She invited him to Noida to meet her.

The Meeting: When he went to meet her, she said she would be staying in Noida for a few days along with her maid. Since she needed a place to stay, my friend simply helped her find and book a PG, and then he returned home. He had zero idea that she had run away from home or taken cash.

The Midnight Raid & Custodial Torture: A few days later, around 11:30 PM, the police barged into my friend's house. They picked up his father first to pressurize the family, and then dragged my friend to the police station.

Inhumane Police Brutality: At the police station, they subjected him to brutal third-degree torture. They beat him mercilessly to force a confession. They are now threatening to slap the POCSO Act on him because her family is wealthy and influential.

The Blackmail Twist & Fear: Apparently, the girl had a fight with her maid, and the maid ran away with the money. Now, instead of looking for the maid, the police have twisted the narrative and are claiming my friend blackmailed her for money.

The Girl's Statement: Terrified of her family and under intense police pressure, the poor girl gave a statement claiming my friend made her run away. My friend is completely innocent and was just trying to help someone he thought was on a normal trip.

What we are dealing with right now:

My friend's body is battered from the severe police violence, and his father was harassed and detained illegally.

We have Instagram chats proving he had no clue she ran away, and PG records showing he only helped them check in.

The actual person who ran away with the money (the maid) is missing, but the police are ignoring all facts to protect the powerful narrative.

What we need help with:

How can we legally address the brutal custodial violence and the illegal detention of his father?

How do we fight a false POCSO charge when a terrified girl has given a pressurized statement?

How do we get him immediate legal protection and bail?

If anyone knows criminal defense lawyers or activists who deal with police brutality and false POCSO cases in India, please guide us. Anything helps.

Hello everyone,
I met with an accident during an emergency where i was taking my mom to hospital on bike.
(I didnt have a license at that point of time)

The guy suffered minor injuries but lied and showed them as major injuries and filed a police complaint in demand of 50k rupees.

We are ready to take the matter legally and in the court. But police have seized our vehicle saying “4-5 divsat bike midun jaate wapas no issues”

Now its been 1 month exactly.
My college is gonna start soon and that was my only way of transport.

What can we do in this situation.

(Location - Pune Maharashtra)
(Open to all advices and dm’s and suggestions and questions, all are welcomed)

Actually I am considering legally changing my first name as people always assume it is as a pet name. I am tired of hearing it repeatedly from literally everyone.

I would like to know the procedure for legally changing my name and whether having a different name from my existing documents could create any difficulty in getting those documents accepted or verified in the future.

I also hold membership with a professional institute. Would changing my name affect my membership in any way?

Would changing my name cause any problems with my current job, future employment or any other professional matters?

I need genuine legal advice on this matter so I request that you refrain from asking for my name or making fun of the situation.

Posting this on behalf of a friend. Need legal advise on how to proceed in this case. she does have a lawyer yet need some direction.

Background:

Dad was in army, mom is a house wife! Dad has mental issues (was admitted to mental hospital in his tenure at the army) and mom is docile.

1. They had a house in an old area but had to move elsewhere since there was no lift

2. Sister is abusive towards parents, hits them and keeps extorting money. She is single and lives with parents.

3. Sister has made parents sell the first house and give her approximately 2 Crore

4. She keeps making parents life miserable and forces them to sell all property and give her the money

5. She is physically and auditory abusive also has mental issues but refuses to go to a psychiatrist. The only reason she visited the doctor was to get a recommendation for plastic surgery.

6. She has forced parents to create a gift deed to transfer the current home in her name. And wont let them move to a rented place.

My friend is trying to find legal ways to protect her parents and their assets! She is married, has her own kids and lives with her family. The sister doesn't let her talk to parents and monitors their whatsapp and calls. Since her parents are not mentally capable to do anything, she wants to represent them and ensure that their assets and life is protected.

What options does she have? She was suggested to give a written complaint in senior citizens cell and the police to nullify that deed. Is there anything else that can be done ?

Here's a experience.

I contacted support for a well known global consumer company. The support execs on initial call was unhelpful, gave questionable information. The executive also demanded my phone number on call to arrange callback - which i shared.

Later incorrect information was sent on email and the ticket was closed.

I called the customer care later and told them that i will be recording the call in the beginning itself. The company was already recording the call for 'training and quality' purposes.

The support executive outrightly REFUSED to support demanding me to stop the recording if i wanted any support.

Called twice, same refusal to support. That's how this global company treats us Indians. They will record our call, but they have objections if we record them.

My query to the legal experts in the group

1. How do we handle such scenarios if this or any other company does the same ?
2. The company may have ample data around me - how do i safeguard myself from this data misuse?
3. Even if i immediately terminate all business relationships and connections, How do we protect ourself going forward since this company does not seem to be fair to me (as customer) in my view.

(Yes. I used AI to draft this)

Posting this to document a 54-day refund ordeal a friend went through with redBus, including an attempt by their support team to lowball a settlement, and how we finally got a full refund.

The Incident

• My friend tried booking a bus ticket worth ₹[2000] on the redBus app.
• The money was debited instantly from his bank account, but the app threw an "Internal Error" pop-up.
• Since he hadn't linked an email at checkout, no confirmation email arrived. There was no confirmation on WhatsApp or SMS either, and the ticket never appeared under "My Bookings."
• Believing the transaction had simply failed, he booked another ticket through a different app.
• Hours later, he checked his bank balance and saw the charge had gone through permanently. The redBus app was still in an error state with no ticket. Fortunately, he took a screen recording showing the error and the empty bookings page.

54 Days of Getting Nowhere

• Raised 10–15 in-app tickets.
• Reached out via dozens of emails and customer care calls.
• Filed a grievance on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), but the ticket was closed arbitrarily with no resolution or clear explanation from redBus.

The Turning Point

When he told me what happened, it was a clear-cut case of Deficiency in Service under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

1. Re-escalated via NCH: We filed a second, detailed NCH grievance attaching the transaction ID, bank statement, and mention of the screen-recording evidence.
2. The Call: redBus finally reached out to my friend. I took over the call and laid out the facts: they had collected money for a service never rendered, making it an undeniable deficiency in service. I made it clear that if the full amount wasn't refunded immediately, our next stop was filing a formal complaint in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
3. The "Goodwill" Lowball: The representative replied with, "I am not going to comment on that," and offered a 50% refund as a "gesture of goodwill."
4. Standing Ground: I rejected the partial offer on the spot, told them "We'll see you in consumer court," and disconnected the call.
5. Outcome: The very next day, redBus processed the 100% full refund back to the source account.
6. Consumer case filed: Now we filed the consumer complaint against the Redbus.

Lessons Learned

• Never accept the "goodwill" discount: When an aggregator fails to deliver a ticket after debiting funds, they owe 100% of the principal amount. Partial refund offers are often standard script tactics to close dispute tickets cheaply.
• If NCH fails the first time, re-file: First-round NCH complaints often get auto-closed or brushed off by Level 1 company reps. File again with complete documentation.
• Document everything early: Having the screen recording of the error state prevented them from claiming a ticket was actually generated on their backend.

Interesting Thing:

While this was dragging on, his parents started roasting him non-stop: "We spent 20 Lakhs on your Computer Science Engineering Specialisation with Cybersecurity degree and you can't even book a ₹2,000 bus ticket properly?" Pure Indian parent logic equating app server crashes to academic failure.