A consumer forum has directed a private hospitality group to refund Rs 1 lakh deposit to a man who had booked a wedding hall in June, 2020 but couldn't use the facility owing to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Forum president Inder Jeet Singh and member Rashmi Bansal further imposed a Rs 10,000 fine on the group for causing mental agony to the complainant while directing it to pay Rs 5,000 in litigation costs.

The Central Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum was hearing a plea alleging deficiency in services by Wedding Opera (a unit of SG Hospitality) for not refunding Rs 1 lakh deposited for booking the banquet hall for a wedding ceremony on June 29, 2020.

According to the complainant, S K Khurana, neither was the wedding ceremony rescheduled on a later date by Wedding Opera, nor did it refund the booking amount despite repeated requests, causing him a financial loss apart besides mental agony and suffering.

In its order passed on October 15, and made available recently, the forum said Khurana’s submissions had remained unrebutted as the hospitality group did not contest the complaint.

"The opposite party (Wedding Opera) had unjustly retained the amount paid by the complainant, especially when there was an order from the government for a nationwide lockdown… there is no fault on the part of the complainant," held the forum.

The consumer body was of the view that it was not the complainant who chose to change the wedding date according to his convenience, but it was an outcome of the restrictions imposed by the government.

The group was accordingly directed to refund the amount along with 6 per cent interest from the date of depositing the amount (March 12, 2020) apart from the fine and the litigation costs.

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