Airtel's Fake Court Case by their Recovery Team (21st April 2010)

Background - Got an Airtel Connection and got it disconnected

      We (I and my roommates) purchased an Airtel broadband connection with Wi-Fi. The salesman gave the connection and he assured to give us router in 2 days. But we didn’t get the router for 1.5 months. We told them we won’t pay until we get the router. They agreed. But they sent the bill. We didn’t pay. Then daily they used to call and I used to tell them same thing hundreds of time that too from the beginning and they used to agree that it’s their fault and no one will call again but they did call again. This wasn’t enough. They also sent strong muscular men at home to collect the bill who don’t even know English or Hindi and their job was to collect money at any cost not to negotiate. We talked to their executives on phone and tell him everything again from the beginning. Then they sent us a notice that if we don’t pay they will police case. I talked to a girl named Geeta, who we were supposed to talk according to the notice, and told her everything. She said she will talk to her manager and inform me at 4 PM but she didn’t. I called her at 5 PM then next day at 4 PM but she said that we shouldn’t worry she will take care we don’t receive any more notice. But still we received a notice next month with a new name, let’s take it Seeta, and I had to do same stupid conversations again. Then 3-4 months there was no communication. We assumed everything is settled.

Morning - Call from a reader to a Tees Hazari Court's Judge

      Then today I was getting ready to go to my office. I received a call. A man named Gajendra Yadav asked if that was Aditya Murthy. I told Aditya is my roommate. He informed me his hearing was at 12 Noon, asked him to come to court 4, Tees Hazari court Delhi. I was shocked and asked him what the matter was. He asked if there is anybody of my relation or friend in Delhi to send if possible. I said that there was no one but asked what happened. He said he can’t tell me anything but I ignored 2 notices of previous notices and was ignoring this 3^rd one too. So I was charged Rupees 86000 for Contempt of court. If I wasn’t present in court this time, I will be in serious trouble. Eighty-Six Thousand, oh my god what the hell? I was drenched in cold sweat. When I told him that I have no idea about it and can’t be in court at 12 since I am in Bangalore and we never received any notice, then he said he can’t help and he was a reader to judge and gave me the number of my opposition government lawyer Sandhya Kaushik. I was a bit worried about what was happening but decided to keep my cool. I called her and told her that I was Deepak Mishra on behalf of Aditya Murthy, but she refused to tell me anything as I was not Aditya Murthy. I told her I will pay all fines for Aditya, still. She refused to argue with me, disconnected the call once and didn’t pick the next time. I talked to Gajendra Yadav again and told him that she is not even telling about the case what for or who have. He terrified me by saying that there were only 10 minutes to 12 and Sandhya Kaushik is my opposition lawyer and if she doesn’t talk to me or I don’t reach the court before my hearing, I will have to pay a bigger fine for Contempt of that court. He asked me to talk to her soon and then back to him within 10-15 minutes. I was almost trembling in fear as Aditya was unaware of this and I was the one who was responsible for not paying the bill. Then I called her again and this time I wanted to be a bit more aggressive and conscious because I had to convince her to talk to me, even though I was not Aditya Murthy and had to decide myself and as there was no time.

Noon - The Conversation with the opposition lawyer

      This time she picked the phone and I started in a diplomatic tone. I told her that I didn’t receive any of the notice and so wasn’t present any time in court and why would I not come if I had received a notice. There can be only possibility that Airtel might be the client who has filed a case against Aditya Murthy because only Airtel’s call of Aditya Murthy comes on my phone number and we have not followed the rule only in this case as we believe Airtel is wrong in this case. I told Aditya Murthy doesn’t know Hindi. She told she will talk to him in the language he understands. I said “You know Malayalam. How?”. When she still did not agree I told her that suppose in a morning, someone calls me and says your hearing for a murder case is at 12, come to court 4 and refuses to tell me who have I killed. This will obviously make me sick. At least I should know, before getting hanged, who have I killed and who have filed a case against me that I have killed someone. After 15-20 minutes of arguments, she agreed it was Airtel and started discussing the case. She said if we would have paid Rupees 3300 earlier or came to the previous hearing in other courts it wouldn’t have increased so much to 86000. It’s a very big amount, even if it will be shared among 5 housemates but still it's 86000. She told me to come to Delhi. I said that she know it too that it’s not possible. I asked if at all I get a lawyer and fight the case spending a Lakh rupees and win, but I won’t get the Lakh rupees back. So what’s the point in fighting this way? She is opposition lawyer and I said this. She was shocked and said how I can guarantee the win when all proofs are against me because she was the opposition lawyer and she hasn't seen any person like me before that is in trouble and saying that he will win. I said that I know how. She asked me what I do, what my father does. Then she asked me whether she can ask me a personal question which was my salary. I said 30000 in hand. Knowing my salary, her behavior towards me changed. She became little polite. She said then why didn’t we pay. I said it wasn’t about money. I proved to her that Airtel was at fault and they were very irresponsible too; also that we were about to case on Airtel in consumer court. It wasn’t that we didn’t have any intention to pay bills because we later took Airtel’s connection again with simpler conditions and are paying it properly. We didn’t pay because it’s not wrong to fight for the right and even we know the laws, so we believe we are on upper hand here. I am not much experienced. She might know more than me. She said does she seem to me like an 80 years old. I thought to ask her whether I can ask her a personal question which was her actual age but I didn’t. Obviously, my friend would get into trouble if anything happens. She asked me when I received the notice from Airtel, why didn’t I go to Airtel office and talk. I said don’t I have any work that I will take leave to do these things. She sort of scolded me for that that only I have work and others don’t. I asked her was she talking on behalf of Airtel. She said how many times she has to tell me she was a government lawyer. I said but right now it’s impractical to do anything, and then asked her politely what can be done? It was already an hour of discussion or arguments and 12 noon went unnoticed way earlier. She told me to talk to Gajendra Yadav, he can undo the fine for Contempt of court as we did not receive the notice.

After Noon - Paid the Bill

      Gajendra Yadav said if she withdraws the case its fine then things will settle. He was waiting for my call and he has been shifting Aditya’s file below other files since 12 and can do no more than 2-3 more times and asked me to act fast. She told me to pay the bill 3300 and send her the receipt number; she will withdraw the case and then I should send her a scanned copy of the receipt. I asked Gajendra Yadav that if I pay the bill and will it be like I was guilty and so I paid the bill. He said I can case on Airtel after this case is closed. So I did what was required. But if the case would have been in my name, I wouldn’t have paid it. Then I told Aditya everything and asked him should we go to consumer court but he said he won’t suggest that.

About the Conversation - Feeling Proud (Idiot)

      But that hour of arguments was WOW. It felt like I am so good. Though the lawyer Sandhya was so strict and firm, she might not have faced anyone like me so talkative and dominating. I am telling an opposition lawyer, who is claiming all proofs are against me, that I will fight the case and win easily but no point in doing it because a lot of money will be spent in doing so and won’t get it back even if I win. Even I was dominated in discussion many times and almost completely in the beginning when she wasn’t ready to talk and also got terrorized by her and her strict tone of speech because it was like any mistake I do will reflect on my friend and his career too. I can’t keep his career at stake. Also, 86000 is not a small amount even to share. Still, I kept talking to her. Even she panicked few times because a normal young guy, not even a lawyer was proving her and her client wrong. I felt that I am no less than a lawyer. But by the end of the whole talk session, I was so dehydrated that my mouth was completely dry. I can’t decide this was good or bad but was a very interesting time.

The Conclusion - Actually got fooled by Airtel's recovery team

      What was I proud of? Airtel got what they wanted. So basically, I have been fooled again. First by the salesman then now by their recovery team. Sandhya, Gajendra, and others no one was a lawyer or in any way related to court. They were just a part of Airtel's recovery team trying to threaten customers and get the bill paid. IT HURTS.