JOIN USHaircut gone wrong: Consumer body orders ITC Maurya to pay Rs 2 crore as compensation to woman model
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has awarded a whopping compensation of Rs 2 crore to a woman model whose dream to occupy the top position in the field was shattered due to shoddy hair treatment by ill-trained staff at the ITC Maurya Salon here.
A bench of President Justice R K Agrawal and member S M Kantikar directed the ITC to pay the amount to complainant Aashna Roy within eight weeks for deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act and medical negligence in hair treatment as "her scalp was burnt and still there is allergy and itching due to fault of the staff."
"There is no doubt that the women are very cautious and careful with regard to their hair. They spend a handsome amount on keeping the hair in good condition. They are also emotionally attached with their hair," the Commission said.
The bench noted that Roy had been a model for hair products because of her long hair. She has done modeling for VLCC and Pantene. But due to a haircut done against her instructions, she lost her expected assignments and suffered a huge loss that completely changed her lifestyle and shattered her dream of becoming a top model.
"She was also working as senior management professional and earning decent income. She underwent severe mental breakdown and trauma due to negligence in cutting her hair and could not concentrate on her job and finally she lost her job," the bench said.
Roy said she went through a severe mental breakdown and lost her self-esteem. Because of the Salon staff's fault, she has been left with little or almost no hair. She added that she stopped seeing herself in the mirror and participating in social activities.
In her plea, Roy said she went to the Salon on April 12, 2018, which she used to visit since 2004, for a "clean and groomed appearance" a week before her interview. She asked for a simple haircut but her hair was chopped, leaving only four inches from the top.
Upon complaining to the management, she was called again on May 3, 2018 for hair treatment. This time, however, her hair and scalp got completely damaged with the use of excess ammonia, resulting in irritation in the scalp.
She alleged she suffered harsh chemical treatment on her hair, causing greying, scalp infection, dryness and itching, as well as hair loss. She brought the incident to the notice of the higher authorities but they misbehaved and threatened that she would face consequences.
Check out latest DH videos here