Darjeeling district police have arrested four persons in connection with the mishap that left a woman critically injured at a homestay in Sittong.
The arrested include the owners — Pawan Kumar Agarwal and his son, Nehal Airan — the manager, Dipen Lama, and a worker, Nasiruddin.
Dipen is from Sivitar tea estate in Kurseong’s Mahanadi area and Nasiruddin is from Chandargach village of Chopra, North Dinajpur.
Chopra residents Souvik Das and his wife Nikita checked into the homestay on September 13. The couple had gotten married around two months ago.
At night, the couple was enjoying a barbecue when Nasiruddin poured a large amount of lighter fluid on it to keep the fire going.
This aggravated the fire and he tossed the container towards Nikita. Within seconds, she was on fire.
Souvik managed to douse the flames.
She was taken to Siliguri by car, where she is being treated at a private nursing home.
Souvik later filed a complaint at the Kurseong police station.
A source said Nasiruddin is not an employee of the homestay but occasionally visits an acquaintance who works there.
“It is evident that this person has no experience running a barbecue. The incident happened because of him. Also, the manager and the owners cannot evade their responsibilities. How can they allow him to run the barbecue?” said Souvik, who has also suffered burns while saving his wife.
The quartet were produced at a court in Kurseong and remanded to four days in police custody.
The Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network (HHTDN) — an apex body of tourism stakeholders — has expressed concern over the incident.
“We have appealed to tourism establishments, homestays and rural tourism operators across the region to exercise the highest degree of caution while providing barbecue, bonfire and other fire-related recreational facilities to guests. Appropriate safety protocols, supervision, equipment handling and emergency preparedness must remain integral to responsible hospitality,” said Tanmoy Goswami, general secretary
of HHTDN.
“The Eastern Himalayas have emerged as an important destination for community-based and rural tourism, providing livelihoods to thousands of local families while offering visitors authentic experiences amidst nature and local culture. The sector must continue to grow with safety, responsibility and professionalism at its core,”
he added.
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