Airtel — postpaid deactivated: demand of more than 7000 rs for reactivation

I have a postpaid airtel number kept active in kerala on payment of a monthly amount. On my last visit to kerala i changed it to a cheaper plan wherein an amount of 500 rs has to be paid every 3 months.

Unfortunately my 75 year old dad forgot to pay since july. But i wantbto state that he never received any calls as reminder on the alternate number provided.

This december i am returning for a short vacation and when my dad went to the airtel office in kadavantara at ernakulam he was asked to pay a sum of aprox 7000 rs to reactivate the number as it had lapsed due to non payment of dues!

The number in question is my main point of contact and communication once i arrive in india. The person at the airtel office was non-cooperative and adamant that it is my duty to pay if i want to retain my original number and that he cannot block or redirect messages and calls from my old number to any new number i take in the future.

If you check my previous records it is devoid of any lapse in payment. If there is someway we can resolve this issue with a reasonable amount rather than the abominable 7000 rs as quoted we are ready to consider.

It hurts to be blackmailed like this only for being nris and that too for a lapse of less than 6 months.