CONTRARY TO THE OTHER ABOVE OPINIONS :
1. A courier company is not liable for the contents inside the courier package. Neither the courier company is liable to inspect the contents of the courier package. At the maximum the courier company, even if liable, may be liable only the extent of the courier charges / fees that is collected at the time of booking the courier consignment.
2. In the case instant, the Courier company has fulfilled its "Service" conditions, by delivering the courier package. Hence by this logic, a Consumer Court redressal is not maintainable at all. ONLY IF in the event the courier package is not delivered at all or is delayed delivered beyond a reasonable period-frame or is damaged, THEN the courier company may be sued for damages / compensation for deficiency in services.
3. Like-wise the Courier company, as a corporate entity, cannot be held liable for Criminal liability for theft of goods / material inside the courier package. However the Police may initiate criminal investigations against the individual concerned staff of the courier and prosecute them in their individual capacity. The courier company (as a entity) is not liable nor can be held as accomplice for the theft of the package by its staff members, unless the contrary is proved during police investigations.
4. However, if the Courier package contents is insured with a registered insurance company, then the Insurance Company is liable to compensate for the loss of goods in transit, subject to various parameters. However, again all this again on owner's self-good-will declaration and/or by physical inspection / valuation by the Insurance Company and the subsequent amount of insurance premium on the item value of the contents of the courier package.
5. The onus / responsibility of documentarily proving that the courier package contained precious stones / gold of whatever, is with the owner of the package and not with the courier company. Whether the courier package contained the said valuable goods WILL ALWAYS BE DOUBTFUL WITHOUT PROOF and a non-acceptable one sided statement /allegation (true or false) by the owner of the package.
6. IF the contents & valuation of the courier package is not pre-declared and pre-documented by the Insurance company, NO CLAIM WHATSOEVER will lie in any court and shall further be null & void under the Contract Act.
QUOTE : "It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious"
Keep Smiling .... Hemant Agarwal