Elante Chandigarh mishap: Two partners of firm operating toy train held
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sunil Kumar Goyal, residing in Sector 34-C and aged 52, and Puneet Kumar Ahuja, a 48-year-old resident of Gurugram, Haryana
Following the tragic death of 11-year-old Shahbaz in a toy train mishap at Nexus Elante Mall, the Chandigarh Police on Tuesday arrested two partners of the firm operating the train.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sunil Kumar Goyal, residing in Sector 34-C and aged 52, and Puneet Kumar Ahuja, a 48-year-old resident of Gurugram, Haryana.
Both are partners at Pixie Land Management, the company responsible for operating the amusement zone where the accident took place on Saturday night. Both were later bailed out. The toy train driver, Sourav, a resident of Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 26, was already arrested on Sunday and also released on bail.
Police acted in response to allegations of negligence levelled by the deceased boy’s family, who criticised the lack of basic safety features, such as window grilles and seat belts, in the toy train. The absence of these safety measures contributed to Shahbaz falling and getting trapped under the train compartment during a turn, they alleged.
According to police, records, including safety compliance, were being sought from the firm’s management and further action will be decided after scrutinising the records.
A senior official stated they were examining whether there were established guidelines regarding passengers’ weight or age limits for boarding the toy train, as well as criteria concerning stability and the presence of seat belts.
Local police, following their investigation and scrutiny of CCTV footage, had registered a case under Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code against the partners of Pixie Land Company, the toy train operator, for alleged negligence leading to Shahbaz’s tragic demise.
In response to the incident, the UT administration has also escalated safety inspections across all joyride zones in Chandigarh. Deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh has directed the additional deputy commissioner to review safety protocols not only at Nexus Elante Mall but also at other amusement zones throughout the city.