Mumbai: After repeated complaints going unheeded, a fatal accident finally took the lives of three people when a portion of a cement slab in a public toilet of Indira nagar slums in Mankhurd collapsed on Friday morning at 8 am.
Harish Bipin Tikekar (40), Ganesh Rambhajan Shahsoni (40), and Mohd. Israsila Shabir Ansari (30), died on the spot. They were later taken to Rajawadi hospital at Ghatkopar. Tikekar, Shahsoni and Ansari were attending their morning ablutions when a portion of the slab caved in and they got buried inside the septic tank.
The police, as well as the fire brigade officials, rushed to the spot immediately after receiving a call about the incident from the control room in the morning.
“We are speaking to the eye-witnesses to ascertain the exact reasons of this accident,” said police sub-inspector, Pratap Desai, Mankhurd police station.
According to a BMC disaster management official, “The three persons had slipped inside the septic tank. It’s very unfortunate that we could not rescue the persons who were trapped inside.”
The residents of the chawl had filed several complaints with the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) that the lavatory was in a dilapidated condition. After the mishap occurred, a notice was put up at the lavatory that nobody should enter the premises since it’s in danger. The police too are now playing by the rule book saying, only after all procedures are over will they take action.
The police are awaiting the post-mortem reports. Desai confirmed that there were no reports of any other residents being injured in the incident.
Balasaheb Sable (40), a resident of Indira nagar chawl said, “The toilet was very old and the condition was pathetic. Despite several complaints, the civic body has not bothered to respond or take any action.”
Meanwhile, Mankhurd Police Station has registered a case on complaint of Smt. Rahimunnissa Yusuf Shaikh (63), and has arrested the contractor Rajdev Ramnaresh Bharti (52) under Section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
