Suicide by Thapar bares snags in hotels’ security

According to DCP (Licensing) Kishan Kumar, there aren’t any official regulations in place, which would, in theory, disallow access to the roof to unauthorised persons. Former chief architect, DDA, Santosh Alok confirms that there are no official regulations, but that many establishments do have their own security systems in place to prevent such incidents. "This aspect is an integral part of the safety system of the building. Most establishments do not allow unauthorized access to the rooftop or even the basement, where there might be electrical equipment or water tanks. This is done basically to stop people from getting hurt." HK Yadav, former executive director of HUDCO, says that, as a rule, unauthorized access to therooftop is banned in most commercial establishments, even though building by-laws do not say anything on the matter. "In residential colonies or group housing societies, the rooftop is the common property of the residents, so it is up to the residents to enforce restrictions. In DDA colonies, access to the rooftop is restricted. But in places like hotels, the rooftop is the property of the owner, who should definitely enforce some kind of restrictions. But in many commercial establishments, space is at a premium so people often use the terrace to store waste materials."

Five star hotels say that they have adequate safety arrangements in place to prevent unauthorized access to the roof. Aruna Dhir, spokeswoman at the Hyatt hotel says that the question of unauthorized access does not arise because the top three floors are closed and only the lower seven are operational. "The top three floors are completely inaccessible to guests. Even the hotel staff use it occasionally. The guest elevators do not go beyondthe seventh floor," she said.

Anjali Chatterjee, spokeswoman at the Hilton said that although doors leading to the roof could not be locked due to safety reasons, the rooftop itself was in the form of a well with very high walls. "Also, there is no guest staircase, which leads up to the roof."

However, officials at the Taj Mansingh, where Neeta Thapar committed suicide, remained tight-lipped.