The band service was to be provided first at their residence in Baltana. (Representative Image)The Chandigarh Consumer Forum directed a firm providing marriage band to pay Rs 35,000 to a Chandigarh resident whose marriage procession was delayed by nearly four hours after the band did not arrive for the scheduled function.
Lalit Kumar, who was the groom, booked the marriage band at Sector 24, Chandigarh on January 29, 2018, and the marriage was scheduled on February 18, 2018. Kumar stated that the deal was finalised for Rs 14,000, out of which Rs 5,000 was paid as an advance to the firm providing the band service.
According to Kumar, the band service was to be provided first at their residence in Baltana and after that at a temple near by in Baltana and later the band was to accompany to the gate of a farm house at Nayagaon, where the marriage function was scheduled, and it was supposed to remain there till the completion of the function.
Kumar alleged that the sehra bandi ceremony of the groom was scheduled at 5 pm, and then the band was required immediately. Kumar alleged that he along with the family members and other guests kept on waiting for the band till from 5.30 pm till 9 pm, however they did not arrived on the date of marriage despite making several calls. After waiting for long time, Kumar had to arrange for another band at 10.30 pm, at the cost of Rs 32,000. He alleged that due to the negligent service of the band, his family members and other guests had to undergo immense tension. Kumar thus filed a formal complaint at the Consumer Forum on July 9, 2018.
The band, in reply submitted that the complainant did not remind them for providing band services on the date of marriage, while they called them at around 6 pm and thus they specifically informed the complainant that due to some VIP visit in the city and due to the blocked roads, the band team shall reach by 7 pm positively, and when their team reached the residence of the complainant at around 7.15 pm, another band team was present there, while it is denied that the complainant paid Rs 32000 to Bharat Band.
In the judgment released on Tuesday, the forum bench that the Krishna band admittedly reached late at the residence of the complainant on the special occasion and it is only due to the compelling circumstances emerging out of the negligent act of the band service provider that forced the complainant to engage another band and due to such negligent act, the complainant and his family members and guests present at the marriage definitely had to undergo mental agony, harassment and humiliation.
“Acting wisely and to avoid further humiliation, the complainant rightly booked another band for the occasion in extremely forced circumstances. For the inconvenience suffered by the complainant as well the humiliation suffered in the presence of huge gathering, the complainant needs to be adequately compensated”, observing this, the forum directed Krishna band to refund an amount of Rs 5,000, and also to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation and Rs 10,000 as cost of litigation.
