MUMBAI: Four days after 22-year-old Sanskruti Amin was killed by a falling cement block from an under-construction building in Jogeshwari East, the Meghwadi police on Saturday evening arrested two men in connection with the incident.
The accused have been identified as Shambhu Kumar Palat Paswan, 29, the site engineer, and Gaurav Dineshbhai Sondagar, 39, the site manager, both charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Officers said further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.
But even before Amin’s ashes had cooled, a similar mishap occurred in the same locality on Saturday morning — a rotating blade hurtling down from the building site, narrowly missing a passer-by.
Hairline escape
“It happened right outside our home, just after 9.30am. We suddenly heard a loud clattering sound like a metal plate falling,” recalled Surekha Muskonkar, 66, a resident of the Maharaj Bhuvan slum located behind the building. “A rotating blade came crashing down, chipping off a part of our roof and denting our courtyard before bouncing onto the lane where Deepak was walking.”
Deepak Jangan, 46, who works at a paint company, said he instinctively leapt back. “The blade missed me by inches. The memory of Sanskruti’s death is still fresh — she too was on her way to work. I can’t get over how close I came to meeting the same fate.”
Neighbours gathered in panic, offering him water and comfort before he resumed work. The near-miss took place barely a few feet from the spot where Amin was struck dead on Wednesday. Residents have marked the location with flowers and candles.
Anger mounts at builder
Outside Jogeshwari station and around the half-built Shivkunj building, posters now demand justice for the “beloved daughter” whose death has come to symbolise negligence in the city’s construction boom. Her family and neighbours say the tragedy has exposed how safety is routinely sacrificed in the race to build faster.
Saturday’s incident has reignited fury among locals, who have long accused the developer, Shraddha Lifestyle LLP, of ignoring repeated warnings. “Look at those nets,” said Chhaya Wadha, 40, pointing at the flimsy green mesh draped around a few floors of the building. “They’re torn in several places. Bricks, plywood, screws — anything can fall. None of us feel safe anymore.”
Residents recounted several earlier close calls: a plywood sheet that crashed through a slum roof during Dussehra, and a brick that fell into a nearby compound during Ganpati. Each time, they said, minor fixes were done to avoid official action, but no real safety measures were implemented.
Outraged residents have now written to Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar, demanding the arrest of the builder and strict action against those responsible. They plan to hold a candlelight vigil and silent march on Sunday in Amin’s memory.
“The builder continues to go free while our children walk in fear,” said one resident. “If this can happen twice in four days, it can happen again tomorrow.”
Police officers from Meghwadi police station said they were aware of Saturday’s falling debris incident but had not registered a complaint since no one was injured. “We are still investigating the death of 22-year-old Sanskruti Amin, and construction work at the site has been halted,” said a senior officer.
With inputs from Megha Sood