New Delhi, February 9 The Delhi High Court on Monday listed for hearing on February 26 a petition filed by a Ghaziabad-based businessman alleging negligence by the central government, which resulted in the death of his wife in Kathmandu, Nepal during last year's Gen-Z protests.
The petitioner, Rambir Singh Gola, not only sought ₹25 crore and ₹75 crore in compensation from the central government and Hyatt Hotels, respectively, for the "tragic and avoidable" death of his wife on September 9, 2025, but also sought the constitution of a "high-level" judicial commission to investigate the incident.
"How can we examine this?" Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked, observing that unless the petitioner modified his demands, the court would not be able to proceed with the case.
"Something happens in Nepal. The hotel asks you to do something. How can we decide?" the court said.
The petitioner's counsel argued that the authorities' conduct was a violation of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, as well as the Vienna Convention on providing protection to citizens abroad.
"If I go somewhere, how is that protection (under Article 21) available?" the court asked.
"Modify your prayer. In this form, I don't think I can (proceed with) your writ petition... Just examine. Let this matter be called after two weeks," the court added.
The petition stated that the petitioner was on a pilgrimage to Nepal with his wife and staying at the Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu in September 2025.
The plea alleged that despite repeated distress calls and foreseeable danger, there was no evacuation or consular intervention by the Indian Embassy or the Ministry of External Affairs. The authorities, the plea said, abdicated their constitutional duty and left the petitioner "orphaned in a foreign land."
The petition also claimed that instead of providing an honest risk assessment and facilitating their safe departure, the hotel management indulged in "willful misrepresentation, fraud, and gross negligence."
"Contrary to all assurances and representations, on the night of September 9, 2025, a violent mob attacked the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, setting parts of the building ablaze... Left with no alternative between burning alive and attempting a desperate escape, the petitioner and his wife fashioned a makeshift rope by tying together bedsheets and curtains-- a pathetic testament to their utterly abandoned state. During the perilous descent, the makeshift rope either gave way or Smt. Rajesh Gola lost her grip," the petition said.
It also sought a formal, public apology from the authorities and Hyatt Hotels.