Tension prevailed at the Tulip Resort on Bannerghatta Road on Friday morning when a group of people, including the family of a 10-year-old boy who had drowned in a swimming pool inside the resort, pelted stones and accused the staff of negligence.
According to the police, the victim Suryakanth Jagadev and his family, who hail from Odisha, had visited the resort on Thursday afternoon. Suryakanth’s father Bhaskar Jagadev, employed in a private company, had paid `200 each as entry fee for wife Runubala, daughter Rashmitha (14) and son Suryakanth.
Suryakanth was a Class 3 student at a private school in the city. The incident took place around 1.45 pm. After playing in the park for a while, Suryakanth went and sat by the pool. Upon his request, his parents went to get him drinking water. On returning, they couldn’t find the boy. They alerted the resort staff, who found the his body inside the pool. It was sent for autopsy, and later handed back to the family.
Family Demands Compensation
Around 9.30 am on Friday, the family went to the resort with the boy’s body and started protesting, de manding compensation on the grounds that the boy died following negligence of the staff. They claimed there was no security guard near the pool.
When the staff refused to respond, the angry protestors pelted stones at the building’s windows and damaged the furniture. The staff then alerted the police, who arrived and put an end to the chaos.
Ranjith, a relative of the victim’s family, told Express that the family was unsure if the boy was dead when he was fished out of the pool. He accused the resort staff of not allowing the family to take him to a hospital immediately. Resort spokesperson Gauri said the organisation provides ‘only professional services’. “Our managing director is not available to talk in this regard,” she said.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed against a regional television journalist and cameraman for allegedly provoking the mob on Friday.