Puerto Rican artist, Melissa Otero, has filed a legal notice against a breach of contract and violation of privacy against Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and the organizers of Mood Indigo.
The legal notice states that Otero seeks compensation for damages worth 10,000 euros for 'financial loss, breach of contract, mistreatment, invasion of privacy, and mental and emotional trauma incurred during her visit.'
Otero told the Free Press Journal that she was promised food, accommodation and technical equipment, but when she arrived in India, for accommodation she was given a girls' dorm room, the food was subpar and she wasn't provided the promised equipment for her performance. Otero said that she flew in from France for Mood Indigo incurring expenses of about 4,000 euros.
Otero also alleged that she was promised a crowd of 1200 people, for her performance but in reality, she only got a crowd of around 200 people. She said that she was promised the headlining stage to perform on but instead had to perform on a different stage at 1:45 p.m. in the afternoon.
According to Otero, the most egregious breach was when she noticed that someone had entered her room when she was not inside it and moved her personal belongings. "I ran into my room and noticed that all my stuff was moved from one side to the other. My personal belongings, including my VISA documents, jewelry, and hard drives containing my music, were moved across the room. We are talking about a breach of trust," she said.
The legal notice states that in her room, Otero had her passport, visa, marriage certificate and identification documents which are vital for her return back to Paris.
Otera said that she contacted the police, who came back with her to the campus to inquire about her belongings.
IIT Bombay did not respond to FPJ's request for comments. A coordinator for the event said that the Dean's office is looking into the matter and has been in contact with the American Consulate.
