Vodafone Essar has been instructed to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 for assigning an alleged ‘cheap and vulgar’ caller tune on the mobile phone of lawyer Neena Chakravorty devoid of her approval.

The complainant Neena Chakravorty, a lawyer by profession had filed a law suit against the company stating that a caller tune, "Bheegi bheegi raton mein''', was activated on her phone in December 2007, shattering her professional personality as it carried a "nonsense message of love and lust''.

Chakravorty, who was representing actor Sanjay Dutt's wife Rhea Dutt in their divorce proceedings at that time claimed that she was "utterly embarrassed'' when her clients had to listen to the particular tune, ruining her reputation.

The court noted that a practicing lawyer would never ask for such a cheap caller tune and the absence of a reply to the legal notice sent by Charkrovorty to Vodafone proves that the caller tune was activated without a request.

The panel headed by President S P Mahajan of the Consumer Forum ruled that there is deficiency in service on part of Vodafone and asked it to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation and Rs 2,000 towards cost of proceedings.