Mumbai theatre owner gets notice day after plaster collapse injures 2

The incident took place during a movie screening on Sunday around 10.30pm. The concrete from the balcony fell over six-year-old Hinani Zope and Nandini Ganpule, 42.

A day after a portion of a ceiling collapsed in Dombivli’s Madhuban theatre, injuring two, Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) served a notice to the owner asking him to repair the ceiling.

Zope suffered minor injuries on her leg while Ganpule suffered head injuries. They were taken to a private hospital and discharged after first-aid. (HT image)

It has also asked the owner to not open the theatre until the repair work is done.

The incident took place during a movie screening on Sunday around 10.30pm. The concrete from the balcony fell over six-year-old Hinani Zope and Nandini Ganpule, 42.

Zope suffered minor injuries on her leg while Ganpule suffered head injuries. They were taken to a private hospital and discharged after first-aid.

“Eleven of us from our building in Dombivli (West) had gone to watch the film. We usually watch at another theatre but we decided to watch at Madhuban for the first time. We have asked the police to take strict action against the theatre owner for negligence,” said Hinani’s father Girish Zope, a resident of Mangal Dham housing society in Dombivli.

“The woman who was injured is also from our building. She sustained head injuries. I could see several damaged portions of the ceiling. When I enquired with the theatre owner after the incident, he said they had planned to shut it for repair in September,” added Zope. The family did not lodge a police complaint as the injuries were minor.

Civic officials inspected the theatre on Monday. “The collapsed portion was made of plaster of Paris. There is no structural audit required as only the plaster fell, not the slab. I have asked the theatre owner to repair the entire ceiling and then open it. The owners claimed that they carry out repair works regularly and were supposed to start one,” said Chandrakant Jagtap, ward officer, KDMC.

Madhuban, one of the oldest theatres in Dombivli, was built 18 years ago. It is a part of the three single-screen theatres near Dombivli railway station — Madhuban, Tilak and Pooja.

K Vira, the owner of Madhuban theatre, said, “The injuries were unfortunate. We have started the repair work and will complete it soon. Until the entire ceiling is repaired, we won’t open the theatre.”