Exactly a year after Carmel student’s death, close shave for her uncle

Exactly a year after Heerakshi, a student of Carmel Convent School, was crushed to death after a 250-year-old heritage tree fell inside the school complex at Sector 9, her uncle Amit Kumar had a narrow escape on Saturday.

Incidentally, history was about to repeat itself when an old tree fell on his car which he was about to enter outside his house at Sector 19. Providence seems to have saved Amit Kumar, but his car got completely damaged.

The incident happened just one month after the pruning of the tree at Sector 19.  Amit Kumar said, “Heerakshi was the daughter of my sister, Daman. You won’t believe that we were all commemorating her death anniversary. Heerakshi was killed on the same date, exactly a year ago. It was around 9 am when I got ready to go to my workplace in my car. I was about to leave my house when I heard a loud noise. I rushed outside and was left stunned. I saw a huge tree in my car. It was the Almighty who saved me. Last month, I complained to the horticulture wing of the municipal corporation. A team came and pruned the tree but not in an efficient manner. Despite pruning, the tree was posing a threat which turned into a reality today (Saturday). The fallen branch of the tree was removed.” Amit Kumar deals in furniture business.

R K Garg, a resident of Sector 27, said,  “The incident has exposed Chandigarh administration.  It has exposed the tall claims of the horticulture wing of  pruning the trees in an efficient manner.”

Heerakshi (16), daughter of businessman Pankaj Kumar and Daman, was killed on July 8, 2022. In May this year, a one-member judicial inquiry committee headed by Justice (retd) Jitendra Chauhan recommended a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the kin of Heerakshi and Rs 50 lakh to Ishita, who lost her hand.