Angered at the death of a 10-year-old girl on their premises, residents of Panchasheel Nagar society in Chembur marched to the Tilak Nagar police station on Wednesday morning, following which the police registered an FIR. The incident occurred on Monday and the girl succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.
The Tilak Nagar police said the victim, Pratibha Shingare, stayed in the society, a project sanctioned under the Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA) scheme, with her aunt Karuna Kharat, her husband Shrirang and their two children. The police said that on Monday morning, Mr. Kharat took Pratibha to the local store, where he bought some groceries and told her to take them home while he left for work.
“Pratibha entered the building and was climbing the staircase when a block of cement fell from above, landing on her head and right arm, knocking her unconscious. Family members and neighbours rushed her to the Rajawadi Hospital, where she was administered first aid and then shifted to Hindu Sabha Hospital in Ghatkopar. She was once again shifted to the KEM Hospital in Parel for specialised treatment,” an officer with the Tilak Nagar police said.
Pratibha was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at KEM, but she died on Tuesday morning. On Wednesday, over 100 residents of the society marched to the Tilak Nagar police station demanding strict and immediate action against the builders.
“There have been similar incidents of bits of cement and plaster falling from the building over the last few months. This was just a disaster waiting to happen. The builders have taken no precaution whatsoever for our safety, apart from shoddy construction,” Ms. Kharat has said in her statement to the police.
Based on statements recorded on Wednesday afternoon from Ms. Kharat and Pratibha’s father, the police have registered an FIR of endangering life and personal safety of others under the Indian Penal Code. While Pratibha’s family has named two firms – Arihant Developers and Ashapura Realtors – in their statements, the police have for the moment not named anyone as accused.
“We will add names of accused in the FIR after completing our inquiries and pinpointing the exact culpability in the case,” the officer said.
