10-yr-old killed after cement block falls on her head in Chembur

Pratibha Shingare. Pics/ Rajesh Gupta

Two days after a huge block of cement came hurtling down from an under-construction high-rise building causing the death of a 10-year-old girl, the Tilak Nagar police on Wednesday finally registered an FIR in the case. The block had landed on the head of the Std V student, causing her severe injuries. She died on Tuesday evening.

Following her death, enraged residents staged a protest in front of Tilak Nagar police station demanding that an offence be registered against the builder and developer of the building in question. Family members of the deceased girl had also refused to perform final rites unless the FIR was registered.

The building from where the block fell.

A resident of Adarsh Chawl in Mukund Nagar, Chembur, Pratibha Shingare, was living with her paternal aunt in Panchsheel Nagar's SRA building for a year. On the morning of November 18, Pratibha had stepped out with her uncle Shrirang Kharat to buy groceries when a cement block fell on her head. An unconscious Pratibha was immediately rushed to Rajawadi Hospital for treatment.

Residents protesting outside the police station after Pratibha died

"Considering the internal bleeding, doctors advised that she be shifted to another hospital so we took her to Hindu Mahasabha Hospital, where we were again advised to reach a better hospital," Karuna Kharat, Pratibha's aunt told mid-day. "We then shifted her to KEM Hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU," she added.

The cement block

In the past too, "incidents of residents sustaining injuries due to incomplete work or construction material falling off, but no measures have been taken either by the builder-developer nor the office-bearer of the housing society," Chabu Shingare, the girl's father said. "Due to inadequate safety measures, I have lost my daughter. But the police were not taking serious cognisance of the incident," added the employee of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

"There are five wings to the 17-floor SRA building but none of it is completely ready. Many residents have, however, begun living in the building," advocate Santosh Sanjkar, who represents members of Panchsheel Nagar SRA building, said. "As the cops turned a blind eye towards the culprit and had mentioned an 'unknown' accused, we protested in front of the hospital and the cops finally agreed to book the builder and developer," he added.

An FIR against Arihant Realtors, Ashapura Developers and officer bearers of the housing society has now been registered at the Tilak Nagar police station. Senior inspector Sushil Kamble said that an offence "under various sections of the IPC has been registered." Whose negligence has caused "the cement block to fall is being investigated," he added.

Despite repeated calls to Arihant Realtors, mid-day was unable to get a response.

Nov 18
Day the incident occured

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