Chennai: A consumer court in Coimbatore district issued warrants against the managing director of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Coimbatore division, and the regional transport officer (RTO), Coimbatore South, for failing to comply with key directives in a fare refund case dating back to 2015.The case was triggered by a seemingly minor overcharge—8 collected instead of 5 for a short bus ride between Vadavalli and the Coimbatore railway station. The 3 difference led consumer rights activist K Kathirmathiyon to file a formal complaint, which the court later found to reflect a pattern of overcharging by TNSTC buses.In 2018, the court ordered TNSTC to furnish a full statement of excess fare collected from passengers between 2015 and 2018. Instead, TNSTC claimed those records were destroyed. The district consumer disputes redressal commission rejected this outright, citing a 1989 govt circular and the Companies Act, 1956, which mandate that all “money value documents” be preserved for at least eight years. Destroying the records before that period, the court ruled, violated both the law and the Commission’s earlier order.The original judgment in Feb 2018 directed TNSTC to refund the excess fare to the complainant for the to-and-fro journey, deposit 10,000 as relief to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, pay legal costs of 1,500, and crucially, submit the excess fare data. The RTO was directed to take action against TNSTC for permit violations and file a report—or alternatively, pay 10,000 to the CM’s Relief Fund in case of default.Though TNSTC challenged the ruling, its appeal and later review petition were dismissed. It finally paid 6,500 in legal costs and 17,532 (including interest) to the relief fund. The RTO also paid the 1,500 cost but failed to file the required report or provide proof of penalty payment.Taking note of these failures, the Commission allowed the execution petition on April 22 and issued bailable warrants under Section 72 of the Consumer Protection Act. Both officials were asked to appear on May 20.