MUMBAI: A week after a tree fell on an auto in Khar, critically injured teenager Aarika Srivastava died Sunday while undergoing treatment. Doctors had declared Aarika, 14, brain dead on Thursday after an apnea test. Following her death, police added a culpable homicide charge against the construction firm linked to the site where the tree had uprooted.Aarika had been battling for life since the May 10 incident on Linking Road involving her, her elder sister Manasvi (19) and friend Harshita Kumar (21), besides the auto driver. While Manasvi and the driver escaped with minor injuries, Aarika and Harshita suffered severe injuries and were put in the ICU at PD Hinduja Hospital at Khar.Aarika Srivastava, the Khar tree fall victim who had been declared brain dead on Thursday, died at 6.05 am on Sunday while undergoing treatment. A second confirmatory test, mandated under medical protocol, was delayed as the family remained hopeful of her recovery. “Having met with the tragic accident on Sunday and valiantly fighting for a week, Aarika Srivastava, daughter of Binal and Sumit Srivastava, could not survive against God’s wish,” the family said in a statement. Her funeral was held on Sunday morning, with relatives and friends in attendance. Her school in Andheri will remain shut on Monday as a mark of mourning.Following Aarika’s death, Khar police invoked Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Bluestone Constructions and the third-party agency supervising the project near the accident spot. Earlier, the firm had been booked under sections related to negligence and acts endangering life.“The incident occurred after the tree uprooted and fell on the rickshaw. The culpable homicide section was added to the FIR,” a police officer from Khar police station said.Investigators have recorded witness statements and sought reports from BMC, fire brigade and forensic department. CCTV footage from the area has been collected as part of the probe, the officer added.In a statement, the hospital said that despite all efforts by the medical team, the teenager succumbed to her injuries after “a brave battle” over seven days. On Harshita, it said she continues to remain critical. Harshita’s father, Harish, said his daughter recently underwent another cervical spine correction surgery. “These are very testing times for us. I have strong support from my family, friends and even my workplace, because of which we can sail through these difficult times. My daughter is such a brave and bright girl, and to see what has happened to her because of this incident breaks all of us down,” he said.According to Manasvi’s complaint, the three women had left Harshita’s residence in Santacruz and were heading to Bandra for a meal when the tree crashed onto the rickshaw around 5.30 pm.A spokesperson for the developer said, “Bluestone is fully cooperating with authorities and has shared all relevant records to enable an independent and transparent technical assessment… Preliminary observations indicate concealed internal decay within the tree, including severe termite infestation, despite no visible external signs of instability.” The incident has yet again raised concerns over tree safety in Mumbai. In recent years, several people have been injured or killed in tree fall incidents across the city, including fatal accidents in Worli and Parel in 2024.Shiv Sena corporator Ankit Prabhu, who lives in the same housing society as Aarika, said, “I plan to raise the issue in the BMC House, particularly regarding the trimming and maintenance of trees on private premises.”
