HC directs action against authorities’ negligence in 8-year-old’s death

The order came while the court was granting anticipatory bail to the society’s vice president who was accused of negligence

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to take appropriate action against officers for negligence in connection with the death of an eight-year-old girl who fell into an abandoned tank in Shantinagar Society in Ambedkar Nagar, Ghatkopar. The directions came in an order passed by justice Milind Jadhav, who also granted bail to the former vice president of the housing society who had been accused of negligence.

HC directs action against authorities’ negligence in 8-year-old’s death

After the child’s death, the Pant Nagar police station had filed an FIR against all committee members of the Shantinagar Society. However, while passing an order granting them anticipatory bail, the court observed that the residents of the society had sent a letter to the Mumbai collector regarding the high risk of children falling into the open tank. The court also noted that the collector had in turn sent the letter to the Kurla tehsildar, the assistant commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and a senior police inspector from the Pant Nagar police station.

The court said the letter categorically refers to the fact that several small children are generally observed playing near the abandoned water tank and it is very possible and probable that an accident may occur in the future. The letter asked for the authorities to take immediate steps to avoid such an event. Had the authorities acted on the collector’s letter, the tragic incident and loss of human life could have been avoided, the court added.