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National: After feeling helpless, the woman reported this shocking incident to the Payyoli police, who reached the spot and opened the restroom using force.
A routine late-night fuel stop in 2024 turned shocking and traumatizing for a Pathanamthitta woman in Payyoli while also exposing the often-overlooked issue of access to basic facilities for travelers. Denied access to the restroom by the petrol pump staff who cited frivolous reasons, C L Jayakumari, a schoolteacher and resident of Ezhamkulam in Pathanamthitta, approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Pathanamthitta. Her resolve bore fruit, with the commission imposing a penalty of Rs 1.65 lakh on the petrol pump owner for denying a customer access to a restroom despite her having just purchased fuel from there.
Jayakumari stopped at the pump around 11 pm on May 8, 2024, while traveling from Kasaragod to Pathanamthitta in her car. She sought to use the restroom after refueling her vehicle but found it locked. Upon inquiry, the pump staff initially claimed the facility was not functioning. Later, they said the manager had gone home with the key. “I had filled petrol from the same pump. But when I asked to use the toilet, they told me it was out of order. Then they casually said the key is with the manager, who took it home. At that hour, it was not just inconvenient; it was humiliating,” said Jayakumari.
After feeling helpless, Jayakumari reported this shocking and terrifying incident to the Payyoli police, who reached the spot and opened the restroom using force. A case was registered, and Jayakumari pursued justice further by approaching the disputes redressal commission.
The panel, led by chairman Babychan Vechoochira and member Noushad Thankachan, launched a probe and questioned the pump owner. After a review, they ruled in the teacher’s favour. In its ruling, the panel said that under the directives of the Swachh Bharat Mission and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Petroleum, all petrol pumps are mandated to provide toilet and drinking water facilities to the public.