A 67-year-old flier, who was injured after tripping over some construction material lying around at the IGI airport terminal, has been granted compensation of Rs 70,050 by a district consumer forum.

The South West District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum observed that there was deficiency in service on the part of the airport authorities and GMR Group, which manages the Indira Gandhi International airport, as the passenger was hurt when he stumbled over a cast iron pipe while moving towards the immigration counter on his return from Dubai in August 2008.

"We find the complainant on his arrival from Dubai at IGI Airport was grievously hurt by a cast iron pipe lying there. It is apparently deficiency on the part of opposite parties (GMR and airport authorities). We are of the view that some reasonable compensation be granted to him.

"Therefore, we direct the opposite parties to pay a sum of Rs 20,050 to the complainant towards medical expenses along with Rs 50,000 as compensation," a bench presided by Narendra Kumar said.

The forum's order was passed on the complaint of Kulwant Singh Mokha, a resident of Gurgaon in Haryana, who had alleged that on August 30, 2008 after getting off from his flight from Dubai as he moved towards the immigration counter, he tripped over a cast iron pipe lying at the terminal and was injured.

He had also alleged that the airport authorities had not provided any help to him and he was taken to a medical room at the terminal by his co-passengers.

The airport authorities had denied the allegations. They said that Mokha had been careless and had not taken note of the barricading present near the construction material. GMR had contended it had provided him with an ambulance to take him to the hospital of his choice.