The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has awarded a whopping compensation of Rs 2 crore to a woman model for the wrong haircut and ill-treatment by the staff of Hotel ITC Maurya in 2018 which left her with little or almost no hair. The woman was a model for hair care products.
In the complaint, she alleged that the salon offered her a “dubious treatment” and that it resulted in her scalp burning and being damaged. Consequently, she allegedly lost quite big modeling assignments which were mainly related to hair products and she was even offered a movie role.
“No doubt that women are very cautious and careful with regard to their hair and that they spend a handsome amount on keeping the hair in good condition,” noted Justice RK Agrawal and Dr SM Kantikar.
“They are also emotionally attached to their hair. The complainant was a model for hair products because of her long hair. She has done modeling for VLCC and Pantene. But due to hair cutting against her instructions by the opposite Party No.2 (ITC Hotels Ltd), she lost her expected assignments and suffered a huge loss which completely changed her lifestyle and shattered her dream to be a top model,” the order stated.
The complainant, Ashna Roy was also working as a senior management professional and earning a decent income.
“She underwent severe mental breakdown and trauma due to negligence of the Opposite Party No.2 in cutting her hair and could not concentrate on her job and finally lost her job. This apart, the Opposite Party No.2 is also guilty of medical negligence in hair treatment. Her scalp was burnt and still there is allergy and itching due to fault of the staff of Opposite Party No. 2,” NCDRC noted.
“She stopped seeing herself in the mirror… and her social activities. She is a communication professional and (is) required to be involved in meetings and interactive sessions. But she lost her self-confidence due to little hair. She also suffered loss of income due to mental breakdown after the shoddy haircut and, thereafter, the torturous hair treatment. She left her job also… It is submitted that she has gone through the pain and trauma for the last two years after this incident,” Ashna stated.
