Mumbai Civic Body Rejects Official Report On Tree Collapse That Killed Boy, Orders New Probe

In a major setback for the administration of the Mumbai civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), their internal inquiry report into the deadly tree collapse has been rejected by their general body, with the mayor ordering a new and independent third-party investigation into the accident.

A peepal tree was uprooted and fell on a moving school bus in Chembur (West), killing an 11-year-old student, Vihaan Srivastav, on June 30.

The BMC had constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident.

On Monday, the inquiry committee submitted its report, in which it recommended fines of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh on the road work contractor and supervising consultant, respectively. It found no prima facie negligence on the part of both departments - Garden and Roads.

During the general body meeting today, the leader of the House, Ganesh Khankar, strongly opposed the findings, alleging that the report attempted to shield civic officials.

He questioned why road department officials failed to act despite repeated warnings from the garden department that excavation work had weakened the tree's roots. He demanded an independent probe.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawade had also rejected the report, stating that neither she nor the chairperson of the Garden Committee had been provided with the inquiry report before it was submitted. 

She directed the administration to appoint an independent third-party agency to conduct a fresh investigation and identify accountability for the tragedy.

Calling it "unacceptable", she demanded that the BMC's roads and garden departments must also be held responsible for their "negligence".

She said the mere payment of Rs 7 lakh compensation will not provide justice to Vihaan's family.

"I have gone through the report, in which only the contractor and PMC (project management consultant) have been held responsible (for the incident), while the civic body's roads and garden departments have not been blamed," she told reporters on Tuesday.

"Penalties of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, have been imposed on the contractor and the consultant. But this report is not acceptable to me. The roads department's site engineer should also be held responsible," Tawde said.