Case filed against Elante owners, mgmt
The UT police have registered a case in connection with the Elante Mall mishap in which a 13-year-old girl, Maisha Dixit, and her aunt Surbhi Jain were injured after a large granite slab fell on them from a pillar.
The case has been registered under Section 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), (a) and (b) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the owners and management of the mall at the Industrial Area police station. No arrest has been made in the case so far.
In her complaint to the police, Surbhi, who is vice-president of a real estate company, stated that she was bleeding profusely. An employee of a clothing store came to assist her and she was taken to the mall’s medical room. She alleged that no immediate medical treatment was provided by the mall for about 20 minutes and then she was taken to a private hospital in the Industrial Area, Phase 1, where she received treatment, including stitches and multiple tests.
Surbhi mentioned that her husband called the police, who arrived at the hospital, but she was too unwell to give a statement at the time and remained hospitalised until the evening of September 30.
The complainant accused the mall authorities of negligence and delaying justice. She alleged that they had been pressuring her to settle the matter. She emphasised that due to the mall’s negligence, she suffered serious injuries and was now dealing with trauma and shock. As a result, she would be unable to work in her profession for at least six months, as her job required physical exertion.
Surbhi further alleged that the mall management lacked a standard operating procedure (SOP) for handling injuries or accidents. She pointed out that the mall authorities abandoned her at the hospital and did not cover her medical expenses, which her husband had to bear.
Highlighting the negligence further, Surbhi stated that despite the mall collecting maintenance charges from all its shops, it failed to provide a safe environment to customers. She also expressed concern for her niece, Maisha, who was traumatised by the incident. “Maisha, being a child actor, is currently unable to pursue her career due to the injuries and trauma, which is causing additional distress to the family,” she stated in her complaint.
An official spokesperson of the mall stated, “We are aware about the FIR that has been registered. Our team is fully cooperating with the investigating authorities and has submitted all evidences, including CCTV footage, to the police to further assess the incident. The matter is now subjudice. We will be unable to offer any further comment in this regard.”
Sept 29 mishap
The mishap occurred on September 29 when Maisha Dixit, a 13-year-old artiste, was celebrating her birthday with her family at the mall. While posing for photos, a granite slab fell from a height of about 25 feet, injuring both Maisha and her aunt Surbhi Jain.
