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Chandigarh: 24 hours on, no FIR in Elante mall mishap
The incident took place at Chandigarh’s Nexus Elante Mall on Sunday afternoon at 3.30 pm, leaving 13-year-old Maisha Dixit with multiple fractures, including a broken hip bone and rib injuries. Her aunt, Surbhi Jain, sustained head injuries that required six stitches
More than 24 hours after an accident inside Chandigarh’s Nexus Elante Mall, where a 13-year-old girl and her aunt were severely injured after a granite slab from a pillar collapsed, the Chandigarh Police are yet to register a first information report (FIR).
The incident took place on Sunday afternoon at 3.30 pm, leaving 13-year-old Maisha Dixit with multiple fractures, including a broken hip bone and rib injuries. Her aunt, Surbhi Jain, sustained head injuries that required six stitches.
Maisha’s father, Pavitar Dikshit, said, “We are waiting for the police to register an FIR in the case as this was sheer negligence and could have caused a fatality. We have already made a written complaint to the police on Sunday. Maisha’s aunt, Surbhi is still unwell and that is why she is not able to get her statement recorded with the police.”
However, SHO Industrial Area Jaspal Singh said, “We have not received any formal complaint from the affected parties to proceed with an FIR.”
This isn’t the first time that safety lapses at Elante mall have resulted in tragedy. On June 22, 11-year-old Shahbaz Singh from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar died after a compartment of the mall’s toy train overturned, trapping him under the vehicle. More than three months later, the Chandigarh Police are yet to file a chargesheet in the case.
Although two partners of Pixie Land Management, the company operating the toy train, were arrested following Shahbaz’s death, both Sunil Kumar Goyal and Puneet Ahuja were released on bail. They are facing allegations of gross negligence, including failing to provide basic safety measures like window grilles and seat belts on the train. Despite assurances from SHO Jaspal Singh that the chargesheet in Shahbaz’s case would be filed soon, nothing has been done.
Shahbaz’s uncle, Jatinder Pal Singh, who filed the initial complaint, said: “We have visited the police station a few times after the incident, and to this day, no chargesheet has been filed. The Elante mall management hasn’t even been named as accused parties. The two accused are from Pixie Land Management. We want justice for our child.” With two major accidents at Elante mall in just over three months, the enforcement of safety standards at one of Chandigarh’s busiest commercial hubs is under scrutiny.
