Nail stuck in girl's head: Builder booked for endangering child's life

Chandani Pandey was rushed to a nearby hospital by an eye-witness after the 4.5-cm long nail hit her on Sunday. Pics/Datta Kumbha

Three days after 12-year-old Chandani Pandey miraculously survived a cement block falling on her from a construction site, the Tulinj police have registered a case against the builder for endangering her life. mid-day had reported on February 19 how the half-kg brick had not only hit her head, but also left a 4.5-cm rusted nail wedged in her skull. Chandani underwent a surgery to remove the nail, and is scheduled for another procedure next month for complete repair of her skull. Her parents had not registered a case, fearing the builder would stop paying for the medical expenses.

However, the very day mid-day's story appeared, the Palghar police swung into action and registered a case on suo motu basis. On the complaint of Hawaldar Shailendra Jagganath Salunkhe, the builder was charged under Sections 336, 337 and 388 of the IPC. Daniel Ben, senior inspector of Tulinj police station, said, "We are scrutinising all the documents to check if the builder was given permission to develop the property. Also, we are checking if the incident invokes sections of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act. This can be ascertained after going through all the documents of the ongoing project." The investigating officer, PSI Abhijit Patil, said, "We are yet to record the statement of eyewitnesses in the incident. Prima facie, it seems the builder did not follow any safety precautions, endangering the life of people, including his own labourers."

The other side
Speaking to mid-day, builder Brijesh Yadav said, "I have extended financial help to the victim's family. I don't know how she [Chandani] got the nail stuck in her skull, because there is a net around the construction site." Meanwhile, Chandani's condition is now stable, and she has been responding well to treatment at Alliance Hospital in Nalasopara East. "We had kept her in the Intensive Care Unit, under close observation after the emergency surgery. She has been shifted to the general ward and, on Thursday, she will be discharged," said Dr Anil Goyal, hospital director. He added, "We have kept her frontal bone at the hospital and will put it back in place after she recovers," he added.

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