Delhi court orders wedding venue to refund Rs 1 lakh after marriage cancellation

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Complaint against Wedding Opera for non-refund

The case originated from a complaint filed by SK Khurana, who alleged a deficiency in service against Wedding Opera, a unit of SG Hospitality. Khurana had reserved a banquet hall for a wedding scheduled on June 29, 2020. Following the government's imposition of lockdown measures, the event could not proceed, leading Khurana to request a refund or alternative dates for the booking. However, Wedding Opera reportedly neither refunded the amount nor offered any rescheduling options despite repeated requests.

Commission’s findings and ruling

The Commission reviewed the complaint and found that Khurana's claims went unopposed, as the hospitality group did not respond to the complaint. The court noted, “The opposite party or OP (Wedding Opera) had unjustly retained the amount paid by the complainant, especially when there was an order from govt for a nationwide lockdown… There is no fault on the part of the complainant.”

Based on these findings, the Commission ordered the hospitality group to return the Rs 1 lakh booking fee and imposed a total penalty of Rs 15,000 for the inconvenience and legal costs incurred by the complainant.