In a shocking incident, a 53-year-old man was seriously injured after a coconut tree fell on him while it was being cut irresponsibly by a civic contractor.
According to Mid-Day, the victim was identified as Zabi Mohammed Nabi Sheikh (53). The Sion police had registered an offence and arrested the BMC-appointed contractor's manager who was cutting the tree, but he got out on bail. However, the BMC has yet to reach out to Sheikh to provide him with compensation for the incident.
The incident took place a week ago on July 11, when Zabi, a resident of Damodar Park, Ghatkopar West, was on his way to work at his air conditioner repairing store located in Sewree. While Zabi was travelling on his two-wheeler a trunk of a coconut tree crashed on his vehicle when he was crossing Sion Hospital junction on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road. Zabi told Mid-Day, "I couldn't even understand what happened. All I knew was that something had fallen on the handle [of the vehicle] and I fell. My right leg was numb. I was immediately taken to the Sion hospital, where doctors told me that I've suffered a fracture in my knee."
After the incident, Sion police registered an FIR against an unknown person who was cutting the tree. It was during investigation, cops found out that tree cutting was going on at the Madhav Kunj bungalow after a request was made to the BMC. The civic body had appointed Tanisha Enterprises for the job. The cops than booked Dashrath Kumar Rawal (35) manager of the company, under sections 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code. But it was later released on bail.
In the meanwhile, Zabi's family shifted him to the Samadhan hospital in Ghatkopar, where he underwent surgery. Zabi told the leading daily that because of the accident, he won't be able to pay for his son's MBA course. His brother Salim Shaikh said Zabi's treatment so far has already amounted to Rs 2 lakh. Zabi will at least take six months to recover.
