Companies named in Cape Breton fatal fire lawsuit deny liability

Two companies being sued by the family of a 34-year-old international student who died in a duplex fire in Cape Bretonin 2022 are denying any and all liability and are shifting the blame to two of the victim's roommates.

Rajesh Gollapudi was living in the apartment with seven other students at the time of his death on Dec. 17, 2022. He had been a Cape Breton University student. His father filed a lawsuit alleging his son was unable to escape the fire due to a lack of fire safety measures.

The landlords Hanover Storage Inc. and 4389064 Nova Scotia Ltd. have been charged under Nova Scotia's Fire Safety Act.

They have since filed a notice of defence in the civil suit through the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia denying any liability in the fire andciting several factors they sayshowed negligence on behalf of their tenants.

The notice of defence includes a statement of cross-claim against two of Gollapudi's roommates,Sai Vidaddiand Ajay Chowdary.

The companies claim the students violated the terms of theirlease by:

• Smoking on the premises.
• Storing tires and/or other flammable or hazardous materials on the premises.
• Not storing trash properly.
• Failing to report lease violations.
• Failing to maintain smoke detectors.

Vidaddi and Chowdary have not responded to the claims yet and none of the allegations against them have been proven in court.