Madikeri: In a landmark decision penalising a home stay that was being run without proper ventilation and safety precautions, the Kodagu Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has asked the home stay owner to pay a compensation of Rs. 37.50 lakh to a 55-year-old resident of Mumbai whose daughter, an MBA graduate, died at the facility in 2021.

The judgement was delivered on Jan. 22 by the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission chaired by C. Renukamba and member Gowrammanni following a petition by Eshwaran, a resident of Mathunga in Mumbai and his wife Gomathi Eshwaran.

The incident occurred on Oct. 24, 2021 where Vigneshwari Eshwaran, who worked in a private firm in Mumbai, died of a gas leak from a gas geyser at Coorg Valley Home Stay near Dairy Farm (Madikeri Fire Brigade). The facility was owned by Shaikh Mohammed Ibrahim. Mukthar Ahmed and Pandiyan were the managing directors.

Vigneshwari and her friends Madhushri, Akshata, Surabhi and Kashish decided to go to Madikeri to witness Dasara. Madhushri booked the Coorg Valley Home Stay from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25 and paid Rs. 1,000 in advance.

At 8.30 pm on Oct. 24, Vigneshwari had ventured into a small bathroom of the accommodation facility that had only minimum ventilation. As she did not return even after a long time, her friends knocked on the door but there was no response. With the help of the staff, they broke open the door and admitted her to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared her dead.

The Madikeri Town Police booked a case and later, the post-mortem revealed that carbon monoxide poisoning from the geyser, coupled with a lack of ventilation in the bathroom, caused Vigneshwari’s demise.

Soon after the incident, the Kodagu Home Stay Association clarified that the home stay where the tragic incident occurred was illegal and no permission was sought from the District Administration. The home stay owner lived abroad, the Association had stated.

Following the death, Vigneshwari’s parents Eshwaran and wife Gomathi Eshwaran filed a case in the Kodagu Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking compensation.

The Commission determined a compensation amount of Rs. 37,50,120, factoring in her monthly salary of Rs. 20,833 over 30 years with a 6 percent interest rate. The Commission mandated the payment within 45 days and imposed an additional Rs. 2 lakh fine for the mental anguish and negligence inflicted on the victim’s family.