Panel awards Rs two-crore compensation to techie's kin

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has awarded a compensation of Rs two crore to the family of a software engineer who drowned in a swimming pool owned by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike at Jayanagar in Bengaluru in 2008.

The Commission has ordered P M Swimming Centre, the leaseholder of the swimming pool, to pay Rs 1.35 crore and the Palike to pay Rs 50 lakh to the family members of the deceased. The balance Rs 15 lakh has to be paid by Oriental Insurance Company.

Smruthi Ranjan Sharma, a 27-year-old software engineer, had drowned in the BBMP swimming pool on April 16, 2008. A resident of JP Nagar in Bengaluru, Sharma had enrolled himself for a summer camp in swimming. Though the swimming pool belonged to the BBMP, it was leased to P M Swimming Centre for conducting swimming classes.

“The day Sharma drowned, the swimming pool was crowded. There was no coach, lifeguards or other employees from the leaseholder present at the time of the incident and no body noticed his drowning. No immediate steps were taken by the swimming pool authorities to either give first aid or to rush the victim to the hospital,” the Commission said in its order.

The petition was filed by Niranjan Nath Sharma, the father of the victim, who died during the pendency of the matter.