Chembur tree-fall death: Civic engineers’ union urges BMC to reconsider suspensions

The engineers said that disciplinary action should be taken only after a thorough and impartial inquiry establishes responsibility for the incident

Mumbai: The Municipal Engineers’ Association has urged Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Ashwini Bhide to revoke the suspension of three civic engineers after an 11-year-old boy was killed when a 70-year-old peepal tree uprooted and crushed his school bus in Chembur on Tuesday.

Mumbai, India. June 30, 2026 - Vihan Srivastav, an 11-year-old student, died, and four other children were injured when a large tree collapsed onto their school bus on Road No 11 in Chembur, Mumbai, India. June 30, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

In a letter to Bhide, a copy of which is with HT, the association said that disciplinary action should be taken only after a thorough and impartial inquiry establishes responsibility for the incident.

The BMC on Wednesday suspended assistant garden superintendent Jagdish Bhoir, Arun Mundhe, sub-engineer (roads), M/West ward, and Yogesh Parte, assistant engineer (roads), M/East ward, citing “prima facie substantial negligence”. The suspensions came a day after the death of Class 6 student Vihan Shrivastav triggered widespread outrage over the civic body’s monsoon preparedness and tree maintenance protocols.

Expressing grief over the tragedy, the association conveyed its condolences to Vihan’s family and wished the other injured children a speedy recovery. However, it argued that suspending officials before the completion of a detailed preliminary inquiry was contrary to the principles of natural justice. It said the move had created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among engineers and civic employees.

The association, chaired by Ramesh Bhutekar Deshmukh, also highlighted a staffing shortage in the civic administration, claiming that each of the suspended engineers was responsible for supervising 20-25 roads. Expecting engineers to manage such a large workload despite inadequate staffing was a matter of serious concern, it said.

Calling for a scientific investigation, the association demanded that an expert committee, including qualified arborists, be constituted to examine all technical aspects of the tree fall. The inquiry, it said, should assess the tree’s physical and internal condition, maintenance history, previous inspection records, prevailing weather conditions and other relevant factors before fixing responsibility.

The association further urged the civic administration to determine whether the incident involved elements of an “Act of God” before holding any official accountable. It maintained that no engineer, officer or employee should be suspended or blamed until the inquiry conclusively establishes negligence.

The association also appealed to the BMC not to allow political or media pressure to influence the investigation. Instead, it said responsibility should be fixed only through an objective, evidence-based inquiry, while ensuring that the concerned engineers and employees are given a fair opportunity to present their side in keeping with the principles of natural justice.

The engineers’ body has sought a meeting with Bhide to present its perspective, explain the technical aspects of the case, and place the facts before the civic administration. It expressed hope that the commissioner would consider its representation sympathetically and take an appropriate decision.