Man crushed to death as tree falls on him; friends & kin blame BMC, seek govt job for deceased’s wife

Friends and fellow residents held a protest at Dadar to condemn the untimely demise of Dinesh Sangle, 48, who died after a tree fell on him while he was passing by Mumbai Marathi Granth Sangrahalay Road in Dadar.

Sangle’s friends blamed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for turning a blind eye towards tree health and citizen’s safety. They also blamed the Granth Sangrahalay for not paying attention and nurturing the tree since it was a private road owned and managed by them.

“Dinesh was nowhere in the wrong. He has left behind a wife and two daughters aged four and seven. He was the only breadwinner of his family," said Rupesh Ghanekar, a close friend of Sangle and Dadar resident.

The incident took place on Thursday when a Gulmohar tree from an adjacent housing society cracked at its trunk and fell on Sangle while he was walking. He received grievous head injuries and was rushed to the nearby KEM Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Repeated attempts to reach the library went in vain.

Sangle’s friends and relatives are seeking a government job for his wife since the family has no financial back up after his death.

Niranjan Shetty, an ex-member of the Tree Committee appointed by the BMC, said the onus also lies on the civic body to take care of the trees. “Just like they (BMC) left it on citizens in waste segregation on an individual level, they cannot say the same about trees. And citizens cannot be held responsible for any such mishaps,” he said.

An official of the F-South ward of the BMC said the tree belonged to a private society and it needed an urgent maintenance and trimming.

“Our men had asked the society to trim the tree, but they failed to do so. Further investigation into the matter is on,” he said.