Rajkot: A consumer forum has pulled up two logistics firms after a fire during transhipment destroyed an exporter’s consignment at Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, ordering them to jointly pay Rs 68.83 lakh in compensation.The Rajkot District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed Gandhidham-based Oman Cargo Mover and Mumbai-based ASN Shipping Agencies Pvt Ltd to jointly compensate Legacy Impex Pvt Ltd for the loss of a desi chana (black chickpea) consignment destroyed during transit. The commission also awarded Rs 20,000 towards litigation expenses in its June 12 order.Legacy Impex, represented by advocate Shailendrasinh Jadeja, filed the complaint in Jan 2023. The exporter had entered an agreement on June 12, 2021, to ship 2,400 bags (50kg each) of desi chana to Bandar Abbas in Iran via Jebel Ali Port, UAE.The consignment, valued at $92,400, was loaded into five containers at Mundra port and routed through a Dubai-based firm. Full payment for the shipment was to be made after delivery. Legacy Impex had paid Rs 3.91 lakh towards freight and logistics charges.On July 7, 2021, while awaiting transshipment at Jebel Ali, an explosion in a nearby container triggered a fire that spread across containers. Firefighting operations with water hoses damaged and ultimately destroyed the agricultural cargo.“There was an explosion in an adjacent container and the fire spread to other containers. Water used to douse the flames destroyed our client’s cargo. The goods were never delivered, which clearly amounts to deficiency in service,” Jadeja said.Surveyors assessed the damage after the incident. Despite this, the shipping firms failed to compensate the exporter, prompting Legacy Impex to issue a legal notice before approaching the consumer commission.Holding both firms accountable, the commission ruled that the failure to ensure safe transit and delivery amounted to deficiency in service, making them jointly liable for the losses suffered by the Rajkot-based exporter.
