Bhopal, May 21 -- The fares charged by the Indian Railways includes the cost of services such as toilets, a district consumer disputes redressal commission (DCDRC) in Bhopal has held while imposing a Rs.40,000 fine on a plea by a passenger who was locked inside a train toilet for nearly half an hour. The commission's order on April 25 came three years after Umesh Pandey, a Bhopal resident, filed a complaint against the railways citing various problems he and his wife had faced during their 37-hour-long journey in the Trishul Express while travelling from Bhopal to Kanniyakumari. The order was made public on Sunday. "The toilet seat was broken and the lock of the door was not working properly. There was no attendant in the coach. The seat of the berth was torn and broken." "On April 21, 2022, my wife got locked inside a toilet and the door did not open. I had to take my wife out of the toilet with the help of other co-passengers," Pandey alleged. He also claimed he had complained to the railways during the journey, but no action was taken. After the commission issued a notice, lawyer Ajay Dubey, representing the railways, argued that the fare under the Indian Railway Act, 1989 is charged only for the journey. "The train fare includes essential travel facilities from one place to another including toilet and sanitation. Section 60 and 61 of the Railway Act 1989 order the railways to ensure every passenger gets a safe, comfortable and punctual journey. If any of these facilities are... deficient, then the consumer will be entitled to compensation," the order said. "Thus, it is clear from the evidence of both the parties that there were defects in the toilet and berth seats of the coach in which the complainant was travelling..., but the railway had not made any serious effort to resolve the complaint." "It is certainly an indication of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice towards the complainant. For which the complainant is entitled to receive compensation from the opposite party railway."...