Consumer rights panel orders Pune resort to pay Rs 1.99 Cr to couple whose kids drowned in resort pond
Consumer rights panel orders Pune resort to pay Rs 1.99 Cr to couple whose kids drowned in resort pond
A Pune-based adventure resort has been ordered by a consumer rights panel in Kochi to pay Rs 1.99 crore to a couple who lost both of their sons as a result of safety violations at the establishment. On October 25, 2020, there was an accident at the resort where the couple’s two sons drowned in a pond.
The ruling was made by the Ernakulam district consumer disputes redressal commission in response to a complaint brought forth by Amballur locals against the owners of an adventure and agrotourism resort located in Pune.
A day before the couple drowned, the husband had reserved rooms for himself, his brother, and twenty-two other people. The parents claimed that although the resort owners had promised visitors safety precautions, such as a guide, in the advertisements, they were not present when the accident occurred. Their children’s terrible deaths were exacerbated by inadequate security measures, a dearth of signage, and a broken-down CCTV system.
Due to allegations of negligence resulting in the deaths, the police filed a case against the managing director of the resort and the resort itself. The parents lowered their original demand of Rs 6 crore to Rs 1.99 crore and asked for an additional 12 percent interest starting on the date of the complaint.
Notices were sent to the opposing parties, according to the consumer bench’s verdict. Nevertheless, postal authorities returned these notices with the label “Intimation Given.” The other parties have been considered “ex parte” in the proceedings since they did not provide their viewpoints.
According to the bench order, the complainants have lost love, affection, companionship, financial support, and more as a result of the premature deaths of the deceased children, who were single and in their prime with stable incomes. In terms of money alone, the mental suffering caused by losing their only sources of income and loved ones is incalculable. However, the complainants request an order compelling the opposing parties to provide Rs. 1.99 crore in damages and compensation for their children’s tragic deaths, which they attribute to negligence and subpar service.
The panel also requested that disaster management lessons—which include teaching swimming as a lifesaving skill—be included in the state’s school curricula and forwarded a copy of the order to the Director of Public Instruction in Kerala.
