Locals offered help, but charged for it: Kin of Indian woman who died in Nepal

Kin said locals—not authorities—helped transport her body. They alleged her jewellery went missing and that she received no treatment at the hospital.

The body of a 57-year-old woman from Ghaziabad, who died during anti-government protests in Nepal earlier this week, was brought to her residence in Harbans Nagar on Friday morning and cremated at the Hindon cremation ground later in the afternoon.

Relatives claim 57-year-old Rajesh Gola died after a fall while fleeing a hotel fire. They alleged officials offered no help and valuables disappeared. (Sakib Ali/HT)

The woman, Rajesh Gola, and her husband, Ramvir Singh Gola, had travelled from Ghaziabad to Nepal on September 7 and checked into the Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu. The couple had gone to offer prayers at the Pashupatinath Temple when violent anti-corruption protests broke out, forcing Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.

According to their son, Vishal Gola, the couple believed their stay at a five-star hotel would keep them safe. However, on the night of September 9, the hotel was set ablaze by rioters. “My father on the fourth floor tried his best to break the toughened glass of the windows. Thereafter, he tied up several curtains and let my mother get down to the ground floor. In the process, she loosened the grip while climbing down and had a fall to the mattress piled up on the ground floor and also suffered injuries,” Vishal said.

He added that army personnel arrived in a jeep and took his mother to a hospital, while his father was left behind despite requests. “She probably suffered a shock as both got separated. She was taken by the army personnel to a hospital, but she did not get any treatment. My father, on September 10, after a lot of searching with the help of locals, found my mother. But she was already dead, with her body found in the mortuary,” he said. Vishal also alleged that her basic jewellery items—a nose pin, earrings, and bangles—were missing.

Vishal further said the family received little help. “Locals were the only support my father got, but they charged him. With their support, a complaint was given and an autopsy was arranged. But on the evening of September 10, the curfew was again imposed, and the autopsy could not happen. On a chargeable basis, locals helped us get the body in an ambulance to the Sonauli border,” he said. Documents at the border were processed quickly with the help of known contacts in the ministry, he added. From the border, the family hired another ambulance that travelled with their car. The journey began on September 11 at 2pm, and the body reached Ghaziabad on Friday morning.

In a purported video circulating on social media, Ramvir Singh Gola is heard saying that no one helped them in Nepal. “We had to jump from the hotel to save ourselves. She suffered injuries in the process and died during treatment. No one came for help, and I would tell my acquaintances that they should not be visiting Nepal,” he said. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Local officials in Ghaziabad confirmed the cremation. Umesh Kumar, in charge of Nandgram police station, said, “The body was sent to Hindon cremation grounds after it arrived from Nepal. We also sent police personnel to oversee law and order.”

Dhawal Jaiswal, DCP (city zone), said, “We do not have any official information about the incident with the woman.” Saurabh Bhatt, additional district magistrate (finance), said the family brought the body up to the border and arranged transport on their own. “We contacted them several times, but they did not respond much. However, we have asked them to reach out to us in case of any help they require,” he said.

District magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar said the administration would issue a press statement by Friday evening regarding the incident.

Nepal has been gripped by protests led by young demonstrators after a short-lived ban on social media platforms. The agitation soon widened into a full-fledged anti-government movement, leading to Oli’s resignation on Tuesday.