Projectiles from SRA terrorise Kandivali chawl neighbours

Residents of the chawl in Kandivali East say such instances of things being thrown from the building on their chawl have become frequent. The incident that triggered the police complaint took place around 3.30am on October 23 when Ayush Gaud was sleeping in the house of his uncle, Ghanshyam Kahar in Dev Narayan Chawl, Hanuman Nagar

MUMBAI: An unknown person has been booked on Thursday for causing grievous injuries to a 13-year-old boy a month ago after they allegedly threw a heavy flowerpot from a building to a nearby house in the chawl where the boy was sleeping. The incident left the victim with leg injuries after the heavy pot hit him smashing through the roof of the house. Residents of the chawl in Kandivali East say such instances of things being thrown from the building on their chawl have become frequent. The incident that triggered the police complaint took place around 3.30am on October 23 when Ayush Gaud was sleeping in the house of his uncle, Ghanshyam Kahar in Dev Narayan Chawl, Hanuman Nagar.

Projectiles from SRA terrorise Kandivali chawl neighbours

A flowerpot fell through the roof of the house, crashing on the bed where the child was sleeping with some cousins. Ayush needed some stitches on his leg due to the injury.

“Although the pot was plastic, it was thrown with so much force on our house that it crashed through the cemented ceiling. We took Ayush to a hospital with the help of neighbours as he was bleeding profusely in pain. Later, I realised the pot could only have come from a neighbouring under-construction project as it was thrown from a height,” said Kahar.

The project he is referring to is a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project, according to sources in the police. “The building has both SRA and for-profit components. The SRA building has already been constructed and occupied. It is kids from this occupied building who are throwing stuff on the chawl,” said an officer from Samta Nagar police.

The officer also acknowledged the claim of the chawl residents that similar instances have happened multiple times in the past. “We have registered non-cognizable offences of similar nature in the past. We have given counselling and warning to the kids in the building. We have also tried to engage with the parents and elderly of the society, appraising them of the legal consequences if any of the kids are caught in the act,” said the officer. However, the officer now said that none of these tactics have worked, and the police are investigating the matter with utmost seriousness.

“For almost a year now, we have been living in fear of stones, garbage, empty alcohol bottles and other articles thrown on our roofs. I haven’t slept properly for a month as I am constantly scared of my pregnant wife getting hurt,” said one of the residents of the chawl Pawan Kohli. This fear is not unfounded, earlier, a stone was pelted from the building which fell on the bed she was sleeping, almost hitting her pregnant belly.

The roof of his house has a few gaping holes due to the constant stone pelting. It is the same with several other houses in the chawl as well. Residents say that repairing the roofs does not make sense as it would just be a recurring expense that they can’t be burdened with.

Kohli says he had resorted to putting up CCTV cameras which have caught some people throwing stuff towards the chawl. “However, the police did not take the videos as evidence of foul play either,” he said.

Kahar said that the residents of the chawl are constantly scared. He says that fortunately, the child only sustained a treatable injury on his leg, but the stones or other objects could easily have hit someone on the head. “Even the FIR was registered after we approached the senior authorities. We feel that the builder is being protected by the police,” he said. When asked about this, the police said the builders cannot be held responsible for the action of the residents of the SRA building.

In this case, the police had booked an unknown accused under sections 337 (whoever causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life) and 427 (mischief causing loss or damage of property) of the Indian Penal Code.