MADIKERI: A homestay in Madikeri has been slapped with a fine of Rs 37.5 lakh over the death of a guest. In addition, it has been ordered to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh to the family of the deceased for the mental torture they underwent.
The tragic incident took place in 2021 when three women from Mumbai had visited Kodagu for Dasara holidays. They booked the Coorg Valley homestay in Madikeri. Their stay was planned for three days from October 23.
However, on October 24, one of them -- Vigneshwari Eshwaran, an MBA graduate working in a reputed company -- collapsed inside the bathroom of the homestay and died. She was declared as ‘brought dead’ by the hospital authorities in Madikeri. It was suspected that she died of suffocation from a gas geyser leak installed inside the bathroom of the homestay.
Following this, a case was filed by her father Eshwaran who claimed that his daughter died due to the absence of safety measures inside the bathroom at the homestay. He claimed that the bathroom of the homestay that had a gas geyser installed did not have ventilation, which resulted in the incident. Further, the postmortem report of Vigneshwari also detailed that she died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
While a criminal case was filed, a case was also filed with the Kodagu district Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. After hearing the case, the commission has slapped the homestay owner Sheikh Mohammed and the manager Mukthar Mohammed with a fine of Rs 37.5 lakh that is to be paid as compensation to the deceased’s family. The commission has also ordered the two accused to pay Rs 2 lakh compensation with 6% interest to the family for mental torture.