Biker crashes into wall after concrete chunk falls on him, dies

Noida: A 46-year-old biker died after a chunk of concrete fell on him from an overhead beam inside a housing society in Noida Extension on Saturday, causing him to lose balance and crash into the corner of a tower wall.The victim, Vikas Chawla, lived in Tower D (flat 1507) of Arihant Amber with his wife, two children and parents. He worked with a private company in the city.According to Tushar, the AOA president, the incident occurred around 4pm as Chawla was leaving the society on his bike. “He took the bike out of the parking area of Tower D and came into the open space when a portion of the roof beam fell on him. He lost balance on the two-wheeler and hit the tower wall. His head struck the corner,” he said.Residents nearby raised an alarm and rushed to help. “I was also there. We took Vikas to Yatharth Hospital, barely five minutes away, but doctors declared him dead on arrival,” Tushar added.A complaint was filed by Chawla’s younger brother, Deepak, who said the family had been living in the society on rent for the past five years. “My brother had stepped out to buy household items. About 15-20 minutes after he left, my sister-in-law got a phone call saying he had met with an accident and was being taken to hospital,” he said.Deepak alleged the concrete chunk fell the moment Chawla’s bike turned past the tower corner. “As soon as he took the turn, a large piece of plaster or cement fell from above and hit him. He was seriously injured,” he said.Holding the builder and the society’s AOA responsible for poor upkeep, Deepak said, “Police should take strict action against the builder and AOA because of their negligence. My brother is no more.”The AOA president, however, blamed the builder for poor construction quality. “We complained several times about poor-quality work. In 2023 and 2024, we gave written complaints and visited the builder’s office, but there was no attention. Any construction defect is the builder’s responsibility. The AOA’s role is to take residents’ complaints such as plumbing, electricity, drains,” he said.Tushar said the AOA also approached Rera in 2024, following which repair work began towards the end of the year, but stalled within months. “There have been several incidents where plaster has come off balconies, rooms and common areas, but no one was injured. This is the first time a resident suffered fatal injuries,” he added.About a month ago, the AOA wrote to the SDM, warning about the condition of the buildings. “We told them that if anything happened, the administration would be held responsible,” he said.Ashutosh Srivastava, a resident at Arihant Amber, said they had repeatedly raised the issue with Greater Noida Authority. “Residents have made several complaints with the Authority, but there’s been no action so far. We have been struggling for years to get the plaster problem fixed by the builder,” he added.The society has 628 flats across four towers, with 625 families currently living there. Possession was given in 2019, the first AOA was formed in 2023, and the builder later handed over the society.Jitendra Kumar Singh, ACP-2 (central Noida), said an FIR was registered at Bisrakh police station against the builder and the AOA under BNS Section 106 (causing death by negligence). “So far, we have arrested Deepak, the maintenance in-charge of the society. We are examining the AOA’s role, and will contact the builder soon,” he added.