Model gets bad haircut, compensation reduced to ₹25 lakh; case reaches Supreme Court

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Supreme Court has significantly reduced the compensation amount in the bad haircut case at the ITC Maurya Hotel salon. The top court cut the compensation awarded by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) from ₹2 crore to ₹25 lakh.

The case is related to model Aashna Roy, who had alleged that her long hair was cut without her consent at the salon located inside the ITC Maurya Hotel. She claimed that the unwanted haircut caused serious damage to her modelling career. Terming it as deficiency in service, she approached the consumer forum seeking compensation.

Earlier, the NCDRC had ordered the hotel management to pay ₹2 crore as compensation. The commission had held that cutting hair without the customer’s consent amounted to a grave lapse in service and resulted in mental agony as well as professional loss to the complainant.

However, during the hearing, the Supreme Court observed that while the consumer was entitled to compensation, the amount fixed by the commission was excessive. The court described the compensation as needing to be fair and reasonable, and accordingly reduced it to ₹25 lakh.

The court also clarified that service providers have a clear duty of care, and any action taken without the explicit consent of the customer is unacceptable. This judgment is being seen as an important precedent in matters related to consumer rights and the assessment of compensation.