Girl drowns in Mumbai pool: FIR against 3 Palava City staff for negligence
Tanya Gupta’s parents had alleged negligence on the part of pool authorities
Two days after a six-year-old girl drowned in a swimming pool at a residential township in Dombivli, Manpada police on Sunday filed a case of negligence against the manager of Palava City Management Association (PCMA) and two other staff members. The incident had occurred on Friday evening at the clubhouse located on the premises of Casa Bella Apartment at Palava City in Dombivli (East).
Tanya Gupta’s parents had alleged negligence on the part of pool authorities and claimed the staff did not show interest in looking for the girl after her mother said she was missing.
Inspector Suresh Raut from Manpada police station said, “We have registered a case of negligence against the caretaker, as they were not present at the spot when the incident took place. The case was registered after recording parents’ statement. Tushar Vaidya and his junior, Sachin Kamble, and PCMA manager have been booked under section 340A (death due to negligence). We revisited the spot and are looking for other eyewitnesses.”
Rohit Gupta, 23, a relative of Tanya’s family, alleged there were no lifeguards around the pool and caretakers did not show urgency in responding to her mother’s cries for help.
When contacted, PCMA said there is no rule directing housing or residential societies to appoint lifeguards at swimming pools on their premises.
“Warning signs are already placed near the pool. However, it is also parents’ responsibility to take care of their child near the pool area. Besides, we take necessary precaution,” said a spokesperson from PCMA.
