A 23-year-old newlywed woman from North Dinajpur suffered severe burn injuries in a barbecue mishap at a homestay in Sittong, Darjeeling district, with police investigating allegations of negligence by the property’s authorities and staff.
Nikita Saha was staying at the homestay with her husband, Souvik Das, when the incident occurred on September 13. She was later admitted to a private nursing home in Siliguri, where she remains in critical condition, according to the report. Das, a trader from Chopra in North Dinajpur, has filed a complaint at the Kurseong police station.
According to Das’s account, the couple had booked the homestay for one night but found that its services were not up to the mark. They later requested a barbecue. Das alleged that one staff member used a fluid to keep the fire burning before leaving, after which another employee took the container and poured the fluid onto the barbecue.
Das said the action intensified the fire and that the employee then threw the container towards Nikita, setting her ablaze. He told the newspaper that he tried to put out the flames and injured his hand in the process. He also alleged that no one from the homestay immediately came to assist Nikita and that a vehicle to take her for medical treatment arrived later.
CCTV footage from the property reportedly shows Das attempting to douse the flames engulfing his wife. The allegations have not been established by the police, who have initiated an investigation and spoken to the homestay authorities, according to an officer of the Kurseong subdivision police.
The incident has drawn attention to fire-safety practices and staff training at homestays across north Bengal, particularly in the hills. A senior hotelier based in Siliguri told the newspaper that hundreds of homestays have come up across the region and that operators should ensure employees receive basic training to prevent such incidents.
Tanmoy Goswami, general secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network, said the organisation had contacted Das and conveyed its solidarity with the family. He said the network had assured the family of all possible assistance within its limited capacity.
The police investigation will examine the circumstances of the barbecue incident, the conduct of the homestay staff and the response after Nikita sustained the burns. The next steps will depend on the findings of the Kurseong police probe.
