Lehenga mix-up costs ₹35K: Shopkeeper told to pay to bride

SHOPKEEPER HAD CHANGED THE DESIGN, COLOUR AND CLOTH OF THE LEHENGA WHEN THE COMPLAINANT WENT TO TAKE IT

JALANDHAR: :Navjot Johal of Gumtala village in Jalandhar was all set for her wedding — right down to the lehenga. Until the shopkeeper messed up two days before her special day. She made emergency arrangements, got married, and is settled in the US. And now, it’s time for payback. Here’s how it went. Navjot finalised a lehenga at Sonu Sagar Readymade Garments in Thaper Market, Nurmahal, on October 18, 2015. It was to be delivered on October 25, two days before her wedding. The price was ₹26,000 and she paid ₹15, 000 in advance.

Carefully, she had picked — as detailed in her June 2016 petition in the district consumer forum — a lehenga of golden colour with ‘ambi’ border and ‘kundan’ work, complete with customisation. “When I went to take the booked lehenga,” she said in the complaint, “I was surprised to see that the shopkeeper had changed the design, colour and cloth.” She asked the shop management to prepare the lehenga as she had ordered within a day, as her marriage was scheduled for October 27, but they refused and declined to even give a refund, she told the forum. She later arranged another lehenga.

After also hearing pleas of the shopkeeper, the district forum directed that the advance ₹15, 000 be refunded, plus 9% per annum interest from October 18, 2015. Additionally, the seller was directed to pay ₹15,000 as compensation and ₹5,000 as litigation cost.