Delhi: Model Ashna Roy had filed a complaint against Delhi’s ITC Maurya salon. After a legal battle that lasted for many years, she has finally succeeded in getting a compensation of Rs 25 lakh.
Woman files case against salon that cut more hair than stated
If you have had your hair cut in beauty parlors, you may have experienced this. If you said you wanted to cut an inch of hair, they cut a little more than what we said and then say that no, the hair was cut as much as you said. Or the hair was split. It looked full and thin, and they try to appease you by giving many reasons. Similarly, a woman who moved the court against a salon that cut her hair longer than she said has appealed for a compensation of Rs 2 crore, and in the end she has succeeded in getting a compensation of Rs 25 lakh.
The background of the incident is as follows
This is a 2018 case. In April 2018, model Ashna Roy, a postgraduate from IIM Calcutta, went to a salon in Delhi’s ITC Maurya for a haircut before her job interview. She had asked the salon staff there to trim her hair to 4 inches. But the salon staff cut her hair longer than she expected.
In addition to this, the salon staff offered her free hair care. But she alleged that this free hair care further worsened the condition of her scalp and hair. Hence, in July 2018, model Roy filed a complaint with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).
Model files Rs 3 crore compensation claim
She had alleged in her complaint that the bad haircut given by ITC Maurya salon while she was preparing for job interviews and modeling opportunities had severely affected her self-confidence and professional image. She had suffered severe mental stress due to the incident and had filed a claim for Rs 3 crore compensation.
NCDRC orders Rs 2 crore compensation
The NCDRC, which heard the case, ruled in September 2021 that ITC Maurya salon was deficient in its services and ordered model Ashna Roy to pay Rs 2 crore compensation with 9% interest per annum. However, ITC Maurya, upset by the huge amount of compensation, appealed the case to the Supreme Court.
Later, in February 2023, the court hearing the case upheld the NCDRC verdict that ITC Maurya’s service was deficient. But it set aside the verdict of the NCDRC, which had not accepted the large amount of compensation filed by the NCDRC. It sent the case back to the NCDRC for re-evaluation. ITC Maurya had directed it to provide evidence of the loss suffered by the customer and to deny it.
ITC Maurya Salon challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court
At that time, ITC Maurya deposited a deposit of Rs. 25 lakh with the court, which was later forwarded to the NCDRC. Later, in April 2023, as directed by the Supreme Court, they placed additional evidence before the court, including affidavits and copies of emails, jobs offered to them, modeling certificates, salary slips and a medical report, to prove the loss they suffered from ITC Salon. As part of the material placed before the NCDRC, they increased the amount of compensation to Rs. 5.2 crore.
Supreme Court orders payment of Rs. 25 lakh compensation
Later in April 2023, the NCDRC again examined the matter and ordered payment of Rs. 2 crore compensation and interest on it in favor of Roy. Hence, the ITC again approached the Supreme Court. The case was taken up for hearing in February 2026, i.e. this month, a bench of Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Manmohan of the Supreme Court ruled that claims for large compensation should be supported by credible evidence of actual loss and not just assumptions or unverified documents. It also set aside the compensation of Rs. 2 crore awarded by the NCDRC and limited it to Rs. 25 lakh.