Centre, hotels told to file replies on 26/11 petition

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan directed the Centre, Maharashtra, East India Hotels Ltd and India Hotels Company Ltd to file their replies.

Sarla S Parekh and Sevanti Parekh, Vijay Kumar Motilal Agarwal and Srichand D Chhabria who have lost their sons and daughters-in-law said in a petition: “The petitioner number 1 (Centre) having failed to carry out its duty to protect its citizens from such acts of terrorism, are liable to compensate the legal heirs of the victims of the said attacks and the persons injured during the said arracks.’’

Appearing for the petitioners Advocate Meenakshi Arora submitted that all hotels should have public liability insurance policy to provide compensation to the victims of such attacks.
East India Hotels Ltd owner of Oberoi Trident and India Hotels Company Ltd owner of Hotel Taj, which were the targets of the terror attacks, had not deployed adequate security personnel and equipment as a cost-cutting measure.

“On account of the grossly inadequate security in Oberoi and Taj hotels and the gross negligence shown by the hotels in providing for proper security so as to protect their guests adequately, the terrorists saw the hotels as soft targets for ease of access and ease of action,’’ said the PIL.