Chandigarh: Case filed against owners and management of Elante

Chandigarh: The UT police have registered a case in connection with the Elante Mall incident in which a 13-year-old girl, Maisha Dixit, and her aunt, Surabhi Jain, were injured after a large granite slab fell on them from a pillar. A case has been registered at the Industrial Area police station against the mall owners and management under Sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), (a) and (b) of the Indian Justice Code (BNS). No arrest has been made in the case yet. In her complaint to the police, Surabhi, the vice-president of a real estate company, said she was bleeding profusely. An employee of a clothes shop came to her aid 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 she was then taken to a private hospital in Industrial Area, Phase 1, where she was treated, which included stitches and several tests. Surabhi informed that her husband called the police, who reached the hospital, but at that time she was too unwell to give a statement and remained hospitalised till the evening of September 30. The complainant accused the mall authorities of negligence and delay in justice. She alleged that they were pressurising her to settle the matter. She asserted that she suffered serious injuries due to the mall’s negligence and is now suffering from mental trauma and shock. As a result, she will be unable to work in her profession for at least six months, as her work requires physical exertion. Surabhi further alleged that the mall management lacked standard operating procedures (SOP) to deal with injuries or accidents. She informed that the mall authorities abandoned her at the hospital and did not cover her medical expenses, which her husband had to pay.

Highlighting the negligence further, Surabhi said that despite the mall charging maintenance charges from all its shops, it failed to provide a safe environment to customers. She also expressed concern for her niece Maisha, who is in shock due to the incident. In her complaint, she said, “Maisha, being a child actor, is currently unable to pursue her career due to the injuries and mental trauma, causing additional distress to the family.” An official spokesperson of the mall said, “We are aware of the FIR filed. Our team is fully cooperating with the investigating authorities and has handed over all evidence, including CCTV footage, to the police for further assessment of the incident. The matter is now sub judice. We will not be able to make any further comments in this regard.” The September 29 accident The accident took place on September 29 when 13-year-old artiste Maisha Dixit was celebrating her birthday at the mall with her family. While posing for a photo, a granite slab fell from a height of around 25 feet, injuring both Maisha and her aunt Surabhi Jain.