Conrad Bengaluru, a 24-storeyed luxury hotel built by the Prestige Group and operated by Hilton, said its management was cooperating with investigators.
An American tourist, Mathew Desantis (41), and pool attendant Rahul Tiwari (28) were injured while trying to rescue the two men. Based on a complaint by Horvat’s wife, Silvia Hotuatova, police booked the hotel management under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence. Police received information about the incident only around 11.10pm, when the hospital sent a medico-legal case memo, a senior police officer said. An FIR was registered around 4.30am on Saturday.
Horvat was entering the pool on the hotel’s third floor when he screamed and began writhing, according to preliminary accounts. Sources said hotel employees disconnected the power supply to the pool after the incident, suspecting an electrical fault. Theiss, who was swimming nearby, rushed to help him and was also reportedly electrocuted. The provision carries a maximum punishment of five years’ imprisonment and a fine. “The hotel staff committed a grave mistake by not informing police immediately. Also, there was pressure from a few politicians and others to not to share details with the media,” the officer added.
BENGALURU: Conrad Bengaluru management has been booked for causing death by negligence after two foreign nationals died in a suspected electrocution incident at the five-star hotel’s swimming pool on Friday evening.
Dr Mabel Vasnaik, head of emergency medicine at the hospital, said the cause of death was electrocution. All four were taken to Manipal Hospital. Theiss was brought dead, while Horvat could not be revived.