'Not A Natural Disaster': 11-Year-Old's Parents Reject BMC Probe Into Chembur Tree Tragedy
'Not A Natural Disaster': 11-Year-Old's Parents Reject BMC Probe Into Chembur Tree Tragedy Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 15:43 IST For
'Not A Natural Disaster': 11-Year-Old's Parents Reject BMC Probe Into Chembur Tree Tragedy Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 15:43 IST For the grieving parents, the report’s repeated references to heavy rainfall and strong winds are particularly difficult to accept Rapid Read Mother of the deceased, Juhi Shrivastav (Centre) and family members, outside Zen Hospital as Vihan Shrivastav's body is taken for postmortem to Rajawadi Hospital. (Photo: X) Parents of 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastav, who lost his life in the fatal tree collapse in Mumbai’s Chembur, have rejected the report by the BMC inquiry committee, calling it an attempt to portray the incident as a “natural disaster". “We do not accept the inquiry report. Instead of fixing accountability, it appears to be an attempt to portray this as a natural disaster," Gaurav Srivastav, Vihaan’s father, told CNN-News18. Nearly two weeks after the tragedy, Vihaan’s parents say the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s internal inquiry has failed to answer the question they have been asking since June 30: Who is accountable for their son’s death? Having gone through the report, the family says it penalises only the contractor and consultant while sparing the officials who planned, supervised, monitored and approved the work around the tree. “There should be an independent committee to ensure a fair, transparent, and impartial investigation. Merely penalising the contractor and consultant will not deliver justice. The entire system involved in planning, monitoring, approving, and executing the work must be held accountable," said Gaurav.
For the grieving parents, the report’s repeated references to heavy rainfall and strong winds are particularly difficult to accept. “The report itself acknowledges that risks associated with the work had been communicated to the contractor. But that alone is not enough. The officials responsible for inspecting the site, clearing bills, and approving the work should have ensured those risks were identified and mitigated. This is a pure case of man-made negligence" he said. Gaurav added: “There now appears to be an attempt to portray the incident as a natural disaster by citing weather-related data. We all know the rains had only just begun and were not continuous. This was not an unavoidable natural calamity but the result of negligence." The family says the fact that BMC Mayor Ritu Tawde has publicly rejected the inquiry report only reinforces their concerns. “When a senior BMC functionary herself says she disagrees with the report, the commissioner should acknowledge that the inquiry was inadequate and order a fresh, independent investigation. For now, we will wait and see. If nothing changes, we will explore legal options because that may be the only way to ensure accountability," said the grieving father. For Vihaan’s mother, Juhi Srivastav, the fight is not only about justice for her son but about ensuring no other family experiences a similar loss. “They should establish proper Standard Operating Procedures so that no other family has to lose a child like Vihaan in the future," she says.
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