From Pilgrimage to Pyre: Widower seeks justice for Indian woman killed in Nepal Gen Z protest, moves Delhi HC

New Delhi [India], February 2 (ANI): A journey undertaken in faith ended in fire, fear, and irreversible loss. In a deeply moving plea, a bereaved husband has approached the Delhi High Court seeking accountability for the death of his wife, an Indian citizen who lost her life during violent civil unrest in Nepal while trapped inside a five-star hotel that had assured her safety.
A writ petition has been filed seeking ₹100 crore as constitutional compensation from the Government of India, concerned constitutional authorities, and the management of a luxury international hotel in Kathmandu for the "avoidable and wholly preventable" death of Late Smt. Rajesh Gola during the Gen Z Protest on September 9, 2025.
The petition has been moved by her husband, Rambir Singh Gola, through Advocate and Supreme Court PIL activist Abhishek Choudhary.
The couple had travelled to Nepal on 7 September 2025 on a religious pilgrimage to the sacred Pashupatinath Temple, placing their trust in the security promised by a reputed five-star establishment where they were staying.
According to the petition, as Kathmandu descended into escalating violence marked by arson and mass protests, the hotel management repeatedly assured guests that the situation was under control.
The petitioner claims he was dissuaded from checking out and was instead persuaded to shift to a higher floor on the assurance of enhanced security assurances that, the petition says, proved tragically false.
On the night of 9 September, a violent mob allegedly stormed the hotel premises and set parts of the building ablaze. As smoke filled the corridors and panic spread, the petition alleges a complete collapse of emergency response. No fire alarms were activated, no evacuation protocols were followed, and no assistance was provided. Hotel staff are alleged to have abandoned the premises, leaving guests trapped in a burning building.
With danger closing in and escape routes blocked, frantic distress calls were made to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and the Ministry of External Affairs. The petition alleges that despite repeated pleas, there was no consular intervention, rescue coordination, or emergency support for Indian nationals.
Left with no option and staring at certain death, the petitioner and his wife attempted to escape using makeshift ropes. During this desperate effort, Late Smt. Rajesh Gola fell from the fourth floor of the hotel and suffered critical injuries.
The petition further alleges that even after the fall, she was denied timely and adequate medical care, was wrongly declared dead at a local hospital, and was abandoned in a mortuary without treatment acts that hastened her death. The Government of Nepal has officially recorded the incident as a case of homicide.
The petition notes that Rajesh Gola was the only Indian national to lose her life during the Nepal unrest, raising profound questions about the safety obligations of luxury hospitality providers and the constitutional duty of the Indian State to protect its citizens beyond its borders.
Despite a detailed legal notice issued on 22 September 2025, the petitioner claims that no inquiry, compensation, or accountability mechanism has been initiated so far.
The writ petition raises serious constitutional issues, including whether the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India extends to Indian citizens abroad and whether failure of consular protection amounts to a violation of that right.
Through the petition, the grieving husband has sought a court-monitored judicial inquiry, fixation of responsibility on erring officials and institutions, disciplinary action against those found culpable, and an award of ₹100 crore as constitutional compensation jointly from the Government of India and the concerned hotel management. The plea also seeks systemic reforms to ensure that Indian citizens travelling overseas are not abandoned during emergencies.
At its core, the plea is a cry for accountability so that a woman who left home for worship is remembered not as a statistic of unrest, but as a life that deserved protection, dignity, and justice. (ANI)