Complaint against firm for cancelled Dec 31 bash

Around 200 people who bought passes costing up to Rs 7,000 for a New Year’s Eve party at Juhu’s JW Marriott Hotel found themselves twiddling their thumbs as the party was called off at the last minute.

A statement released by the hotel said the event management company that organised the party had failed to procure the requisite licences. A written complaint was filed on Thursday with the Santacruz police station.

Software professional Nitin Patnani, in his statement to the police, said he and six friends had purchased the passes for the party after seeing an ad in a national daily. The passes had cost them Rs 20,000 in all. But when Patnani and his friends reached the hotel around 9.30 pm, they were in for a shock when they were asked to return back.

Between 9.30 pm to 11.30 pm, around 200 people came to the hotel to gain access to party. When they contacted the hotel authorities, they were told the party had been cancelled.

The four cellphone numbers printed in the ad were unreachable. “Also the address given on the passes turned out to be fake,” said Patnani. “As we did not want to waste more time, we coughed up another Rs 40, 000 to gain access into another party hosted by JW Marriott hotel.”

Sameer Thakkar and 12 friends had booked tickets for the party. Thakkar, a banker, said, “My friends and I had the worst new year of our life on that night”.

JW Marriott, in a statement, said: “The organisers of the private party at JW Marriott have defaulted in procuring the required licenses. Hence the hotel does not hold any responsibility for the cancellation this event.”

Senior police inspector Dilip Gaikwad said: “The investigation is on.”