As political unrest intensifies in Nepal, Indian presenter Upasana Gill’s desperate plea for assistance has surfaced online after she was caught in violent protests that left her hotel in flames.
Gill, who had travelled to Nepal to host a women’s volleyball league, said she was staying at the Sarovar Hotel in Pokhara when it was allegedly set ablaze by local demonstrators. In a video shared by independent journalist Praful Garg on Instagram, she appealed, “I request the Indian Embassy to help us. Please help as many people as you can. I am stuck in Pokhara, Nepal. I came here to host a volleyball league. Our hotel where I stayed has been burnt.”
Recounting the terrifying moment, Gill said she was in the hotel’s spa when protesters stormed the premises. “I was in the spa and people were running behind me with big sticks. As soon as I saved my life, I came out of the hotel. There is fire everywhere. They are not even leaving the tourists here,” she narrated.
Gill and several others managed to take refuge in another hotel after escaping the blaze. “We don’t know how long we will stay here in another hotel,” she added.
In another video shared on her Instagram story, she expressed frustration at the Indian Embassy’s response. “The Indian embassy called and asked me to stay inside the hotel, we were inside the hotel but the protesters came inside and burned it down. Why would we go on the road in such a time? Please take some action,” she said.
She also posted multiple stories documenting the destruction, writing, “We have lost everything. We just want to get home safely. PLEASE HELP.” In another note, she described her narrow escape: “All my friends were downstairs having dinner & I had just gone up to the first floor to ask about the spa coz I was just trying to distract myself & change my mood. I had barely sat down when I heard people screaming… They ran after me… they set the hotel on fire. I’m stuck here. Shaken. I just want to go home.”
Sharing footage of the burning hotel, she added, “That’s my hotel. I have no clothes and all my luggage was in the hotel and now it’s been burned down.”
Gill had earlier announced her role as the official presenter of the volleyball league in October 2024. The tournament was set to commence on September 30, 2025, at Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu.
Nepal is currently in the grip of its worst political crisis in recent years, triggered by widespread anger over a controversial social media ban. The protests have escalated into a nationwide anti-government movement, leaving 19 people dead and more than 500 injured. On September 9, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, with the Nepal Army now overseeing security in key cities, including Kathmandu and Pokhara.
