Sewer cleaning deaths: Hotel owner granted anticipatory bail; kin of two deceased accept compensation
“We have given Rs 7 lakh each to the families as compensation following which they agreed to cremate the bodies. It was a painful incident and we are equally saddened by their loss.” (Express Photo by Manoj Kumar) “We have given Rs 7 lakh each to the families as compensation following which they agreed to cremate the bodies. It was a painful incident and we are equally saddened by their loss.” (Express Photo by Manoj Kumar)
TWO DAYS after five employees at Hotel Grand Marian of Ludhiana were made to clean a manhole, leading to the death of two while three were taken ill after inhaling the toxic gas, the families of the two deceased performed the cremation on Monday.
On Saturday, the families had threatened to protest if the hotel owner was not arrested and also did not consent to autopsy. However, the hotel owner, Chetan Verma, was granted anticipatory bail Monday. Vijay Bharat Verma, also one of the owners of the hotel and father of Chetan Verma, said they had given compensation to the families.
“We have given Rs 7 lakh each to the families as compensation following which they agreed to cremate the bodies. It was a painful incident and we are equally saddened by their loss.”
Vishal, cousin brother of deceased Deepak, said, “Initially, we had decided that the cremation will not be done until the hotel owner is arrested. But Deepak’s father and other relatives later reached a compromise as compensation amount is required for education of Deepak’s four-year-old son,” he said. Naresh Kumar, uncle of Armaan who also died in the incident, said, “His family is poor. After Armaan’s death, a breadwinner was gone. They do not have money to even cook food and there are other children too in family. So, compensation amount is important to feed the family,” he said.
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