Catering to your worst nightmares

If you thought that the height of being duped is when your Ola or Uber cancels after making you wait for some 10 minutes, or when Swiggy or Zomato calls up to say that the food you ordered isn't available after your guests are subtly checking about dinner, spare a thought for Bidhanchandra and Hena Biswas.

This couple from Garfa near Kolkata paid the ultimate price - humiliation at their daughter's wedding reception. Like all happy parents, last month, the Biswases had booked a catering service to throw a lavish dinner for the occasion.

For the 550-odd guests, khana at the reception was a veritable vegetarian feast: buffet comprising lip-smackers like peas kachori, chana daal, dum aloo, paneer, green peas pulao, chutney, mithai... the works.


Having already paid ₹5.9 lakh to the respectable-sounding Continental Catering Service, all that was left was the bon app-etit-ing. It turned out to be gone appetit.

Not only did the caterers not turn up, but catering service owner Rangan Niyogi was unreachable on his phone and went Awol. Poori sabzi was rustled up, with some 200 disgruntled guests leaving with an empty stomach.

This Tuesday, the missing 'caterer' was arrested. It turns out he'd conducted such heists before. So, dear reader, beware of service providers who never end up providing service at crucial moments of your life.