The Halasuru police have registered a case against the management of Conrad Hotel in Bengaluru for alleged negligence following the deaths of two foreign nationals in a suspected electrocution incident at the hotel's swimming pool on October 30. The incident, which occurred at the swimming pool on the third floor of the five-star hotel, also left two others injured while attempting to rescue the victims.
The deceased have been identified as Alexander Maximilian Theiss (57), a German national and crew member of Lufthansa Airlines, and Juraj Horvat (45), a Slovakian national working as a project manager with IBM.
The injured persons have been identified as Mathew Desantis (41), an American national staying at the hotel, and Rahul Tiwari (28), a hotel employee working as a pool attendant and lifeguard. Both sustained injuries while attempting to rescue the victims and were shifted to Manipal Hospital for treatment.
According to the complaint filed by Silvia Hotuatova (47), wife of Horvat, the couple had arrived in India on October 20 for a holiday and checked into Conrad Hotel on October 30.
Horvat went swimming in the hotel's pool at around 5.15 pm when Silvia heard a loud noise from near the pool. On rushing to check, she found her husband motionless in the water.
The complaint further stated that hotel staff members who attempted to rescue Horvat also sustained electric shocks. Another person subsequently alerted those present to the suspected presence of electric current in the pool, following which the hotel staff switched off the power supply.
An American national, identified as Mathew Desantis, also attempted to rescue the victims and administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The victims were subsequently shifted to Manipal Hospital, where Horvat died while doctors attempted to revive him, while Theiss was declared brought dead.
Manipal Hospitals, in a statement, said four people were brought to the hospital following the incident at around 5.10 pm on October 30. They included the German and Slovakian nationals, the American national and a 26-year-old hotel staff member.
According to the hospital, the German national was brought dead, while the Slovakian national died despite resuscitation efforts.
The hospital further stated that the American national had experienced a headache and was in a state of shock after attempting to rescue the victims. The hotel employee was also admitted in a state of shock. Both were reported to be stable.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said investigators suspected an electrical leakage into the swimming pool.
The Commissioner said, “The area had been sealed, and technical and Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) teams had inspected the spot. We are awaiting the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, post-mortem findings and other reports to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.”
Based on the complaint lodged by Silvia Hotuatova, Halasuru police registered a case under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which deals with causing death by negligence, against the hotel management.
The complaint sought a detailed investigation into the circumstances that led to the deaths and appropriate legal action against those responsible.
Responding to the incident, Conrad Hotel management expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and said it was extending full cooperation to the authorities.
In its statement, the hotel said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident which occurred at Conrad Bengaluru yesterday which led to the subsequent passing away of two guests. We offer our deepest condolences to all those impacted.”
The management further stated, “The cause of the incident has not yet been established and remains subject to a comprehensive investigation by local authorities. We are offering our full support to their investigation. Our team remains available to provide all appropriate assistance to relevant authorities as their investigation continues.”
The hotel's swimming pool was subsequently closed, with the hotel's website notifying guests that it would remain closed for maintenance from October 31 to November 30.