Rajesh Gola, a 57-year-old woman from Ghaziabad, Rajesh Gola died after trying to jump to safety from a hotel that was set on fire during the violent protests in Nepal. The woman was on a religious trip in Nepal with her husband, Ramveer Singh Gola, 58 and had travelled to Kathmandu on September 7.
The couple had travelled to offer prayers at the Pashupatinath temple. After visiting the shrine, they checked into the Hyatt Residency Hotel.
On September 9, the five-star hotel the couple stayed at was set on fire around 11:30 pm during the protests. According to relatives, Ramveer and Rajesh were staying on the upper floor of a hotel when protesters set the lower floors on fire. Ramveer had attempted to lower his wife to safety using a curtain, but she slipped from his grasp and fell. She sustained injuries and succumbed to them while she was being taken to the hospital by the Nepal Army due to excessive bleeding.
Rajesh Gola’s elder son, Vishal, said, “The mob stormed the hotel and set it on fire. As the stairways got filled with smoke, my father broke the windowpane, tied sheets, and jumped onto a mattress. My mother slipped while trying to climb down and fell heavily on her back,” reported The Times of India.
Vishal said the communication blackouts block their attempts to reach out.
“For two days, we didn’t know about their whereabouts. Finally, my father was found in a relief camp, but my mother died in the hospital. He also alleged that he received minimal support from the Indian embassy.
Ramveer had later made a frantic call to his acquaintances in Dehradun for help.
His family had tried to contact the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu but only received assurances. Several Indians who were stranded in Nepal had complained on social media that the embassy numbers were not reachable.
Ravi Rana, a former employee of Ramveer Singh Gola and also a transporter, assisted him in locating her, says, "As soon as I got the news, I contacted my contacts in Nepal, including ex-army officers of the Gorkha regiment. They asked me for her photograph and some details. I called Ramveer Singh Gola, who was in Kathmandu. I was trying to find her from my side, and he was also doing his best. Then, we found out she was taken to the Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu and, we got to know that she is dead."
Rajesh’s mortal remains were handed to her husband on Thursday, and he brought them home by road on Friday he was unable to secure a flight. The couple has three children, two sons and a daughter.
Ranbir sign Gola owned a transport business, M/s Ashoka Roadlines, and owns about 100 trucks and employs more than 150 drivers, cleaners, and staff. He runs his business across Ghaziabad to Dehradun, according to a close aide who spoke to the English daily.
About 51 people were killed during violent anti-corruption protests in Nepal this week, according to police.