Model sued ITC Maurya for Rs 2 crore over bad haircut, gets Rs 25 lakh
SC ordered ITC Maurya to pay ₹25 lakh to model and aspiring actor Aashna Roy
- Feb 16, 2026,
- Updated Feb 16, 2026 12:58 PM IST
A long-running dispute over a salon haircut has finally come to an end, with the Supreme Court (SC) directing ITC Maurya to pay ₹25 lakh to model and aspiring actor Aashna Roy. The case dates back to April 2018 and moved through multiple legal stages before reaching its conclusion.
Roy had initially approached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, claiming that a faulty haircut at the hotel's salon caused her professional and personal losses. In its first ruling, the commission held the hotel responsible for a deficiency in service and awarded her ₹2 crore as compensation.
ITC challenged the decision in the apex court. While the court did not overturn the finding of deficiency in service, it questioned the amount of compensation and asked the commission to reassess it. During the proceedings, ITC deposited ₹25 lakh, which was later forwarded to the commission.
Second round before consumer commission
When the matter returned to the commission, Roy increased her claim to ₹5.2 crore and submitted additional documents to support her case. The commission again awarded ₹2 crore along with interest, prompting ITC to approach the SC once more, The Economic Times reported on Saturday.
Supreme Court cuts compensation amount
Hearing the matter, a bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan said the evidence presented did not justify such a large payout.
"From the evidence placed on record, a case is not made out for such a huge compensation to Roy. The damages cannot be awarded merely on presumptions or whims and fancies of the complainant. To make out a case for award of damages, especially when the claim is to the tune of crores of rupees, some trustworthy and reliable evidence must be led… Roy has not been able to make out a case for the award of such huge compensation," Justice Bindal observed as per the report.
"In our view, the Commission has committed an error in awarding a huge amount of compensation of Rs 2 crore, which in our view cannot be justified," the bench further said, adding that reliance on photocopied documents weakened the claim.
While the court upheld that service had been deficient, it emphasised that compensation must be backed by credible proof. The final order reduced the payout to ₹25 lakh, bringing the prolonged legal battle to a close.
A long-running dispute over a salon haircut has finally come to an end, with the Supreme Court (SC) directing ITC Maurya to pay ₹25 lakh to model and aspiring actor Aashna Roy. The case dates back to April 2018 and moved through multiple legal stages before reaching its conclusion.
Roy had initially approached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, claiming that a faulty haircut at the hotel's salon caused her professional and personal losses. In its first ruling, the commission held the hotel responsible for a deficiency in service and awarded her ₹2 crore as compensation.
ITC challenged the decision in the apex court. While the court did not overturn the finding of deficiency in service, it questioned the amount of compensation and asked the commission to reassess it. During the proceedings, ITC deposited ₹25 lakh, which was later forwarded to the commission.
Second round before consumer commission
When the matter returned to the commission, Roy increased her claim to ₹5.2 crore and submitted additional documents to support her case. The commission again awarded ₹2 crore along with interest, prompting ITC to approach the SC once more, The Economic Times reported on Saturday.
Supreme Court cuts compensation amount
Hearing the matter, a bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan said the evidence presented did not justify such a large payout.
"From the evidence placed on record, a case is not made out for such a huge compensation to Roy. The damages cannot be awarded merely on presumptions or whims and fancies of the complainant. To make out a case for award of damages, especially when the claim is to the tune of crores of rupees, some trustworthy and reliable evidence must be led… Roy has not been able to make out a case for the award of such huge compensation," Justice Bindal observed as per the report.
"In our view, the Commission has committed an error in awarding a huge amount of compensation of Rs 2 crore, which in our view cannot be justified," the bench further said, adding that reliance on photocopied documents weakened the claim.
While the court upheld that service had been deficient, it emphasised that compensation must be backed by credible proof. The final order reduced the payout to ₹25 lakh, bringing the prolonged legal battle to a close.