The missing ‘dirty pink’ lehanga: Arrest warrants issued to shop owner in wedding dress delivery delay case

Petitioner asks for refund of Rs67,000 and over Rs200 million in damages.

LAHORE:

A consumer court on Tuesday issued bail-able arrest warrants for the owner of Unique Zari for May 15 in a petition involving the non-delivery of a lehanga to be worn by a bride on her wedding. The petitioner has asked for over Rs200 million in damages.

Petitioner Muhammad Shehzad said he had hired MH Arshad, owner of Unique Zari, to stitch a ‘dirty pink’ lehanga for his sister to wear on her wedding which had been scheduled for February 23. The respondent, he said, asked for Rs67,000 to make the lehanga and Rs25,000 was paid as an advance. The date for delivery, the petitioner said, was January 18.

Shehzad said the lehanga was not delivered on January 18. The respondent, he said, made excuses and kept on delaying the delivery. He eventually promised to deliver the lehanga on February 22, the day before the wedding. The petitioner said that he paid the remaining amount to Arshad.

Shehzad said despite several calls made to the respondent, which he did not answer, the lehanga was not delivered. He added that his life and that of his family ‘became wretched, vile and despicable.’

Shehzad said that when the wedding party reached his home, he was still calling Arshad but would not get an answer. He said that he eventually went and bought a lehanga for his sister for Rs200,000.

But, he said, the ceremony was delayed and his family had to face embarrassment. The petitioner added that as marriage functions have to end by 10pm, the delay in the lehanga meant that the party ended without some of the rituals.

Shehzad said he later visited Arshad and asked for his money back. He said Arshad agreed and asked him to return on February 27 to collect the money.

However, the petitioner said when he returned, the respondent was not to be found.

He prayed the court to direct the respondent to return Rs67,000, the amount he had paid for the lehanga, Rs200,000, the price of the lehanga he eventually bought as a replacement, Rs100 million damages for mental torture, Rs50 million for the damage to his reputation and Rs.50 million damages for physical labour.

The court issued several notices to the respondent but he did not appear before it. On Tuesday, the court issued bail-able arrest warrants for the respondent for May 15.

Speaking with The Express Tribune, Arshad said the allegations were false. He said he had prepared the lehanga in time but the petitioner did not pick it up.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2012.