Australian diver gets relief 33 years after mishap

Thirty-three years after an Australian swimmer met with an accident in a ITDC hotel swimming pool which left her quadriplegic, the Delhi high court has directed the government to pay her a compensation of almost Rs2 crore.

In 1978 Susan Leigh Beer met with an accident when she dived into the swimming pool of Indian Tourism Development Corporation’s (ITDC) ‘Akbar Hotel’, which now houses government offices, slipped due to the algae formation and her hit her head against a wall.

“It is clear that it was on account of the defendant’s (ITDC) negligence that the floor of the swimming pool was slippery which left the plaintiff injured,” a bench headed by justice Badar Durrez Ahmed said and awarded Susan Rs1.82cr along with simple interest thereon at the rate of 6% pa with effect from Jan 22, 1982 till the date of the decree.