Mumbai: A 14-year-old girl died a week after she was injured when a tree from a private compound fell on an auto-rickshaw at Linking Road in Khar West. Meanwhile, Harshita Kumar (21) is critical and has been admitted to the ICU.
The incident took place on May 10 near Rajkumar Jewellers, when a tree from the compound of Blue Stone Builder collapsed on the auto-rickshaw. Two girls were injured in the incident and rushed to Hinduja Hospital for treatment.
According to information received from the hospital on May 17, Aarika Shrivastav (14) was declared dead at 6.05 am. The Khar police are further investigating the matter.
The Khar police on May 11 registered a case against Bluestone Construction Company for alleged negligence after a tree from the company’s construction site collapsed onto a moving auto-rickshaw in Khar West on Sunday evening, critically injuring two women. The incident occurred near an under-construction building on Linking Road at around 5:30 pm.
According to the Khar police, the two injured women are undergoing treatment at Hinduja Hospital in Khar West and are currently unconscious. “We have started the investigation, and based on the progress of the probe, further sections may be added to the FIR,” a police officer said.
According to the FIR, the complainant, Manasvi Shrivastav, 19, a student residing in Malad East, was travelling to Khar on May 10 with her younger sister, Arika, 14, and her friend, Harshata, 21, a resident of Santacruz West, for a meal. They had hired an auto-rickshaw and were heading from Santacruz to Bandra at around 5:50 pm when, near Linking Road in Khar West, a tree suddenly collapsed onto their auto-rickshaw.
Manasvi stated in the FIR that the tree fell from the Bluestone construction site, where work on a new building was underway beside the road. As a result, Arika and Harshata sustained serious head injuries and lost consciousness. Meanwhile, Manasvi suffered contusions, while the auto-rickshaw driver remained unhurt. The driver immediately rushed the injured to Hinduja Hospital in Khar West.
Manasvi later filed a complaint against Bluestone Construction, alleging negligence in maintaining the tree and failing to take adequate safety measures at the construction site. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 125(b) (endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on May 11. Bluestone Properties issued a statement after Aarica’s death. The statement mentioned that, 'Bluestone Properties is profoundly grieved by this tragic incident and extends its heartfelt. condolences to the young girl’s family on their devastating loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, and we remain equally concerned for the injured girl and all those affected. During this extraordinarily difficult time, Bluestone remains fully committed to standing beside the affected family, extending every possible support, as and when required, with the utmost care, sensitivity and dignity as they navigate this painful loss. Even as our immediate priority remains supporting the family.'
Further statement mentioned, 'Bluestone is fully cooperating with authorities and has shared all relevant records to enable an independent and transparent technical assessment. Out of respect for the ongoing process and the sensitivity of this loss, any determination at this stage would be premature. Preliminary observations indicate concealed internal decay within the tree, including severe termite infestation, despite no visible external signs of instability. The development project is being executed in full statutory compliance, under rigorous engineering oversight and safety protocols. At this difficult moment, our focus remains on standing by the affected families and ensuring that the matter is assessed objectively, with conclusions guided solely by verified technical findings and expert assessment.'
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