11yearold Vihan Srivastava Cremated With His Favourite Cricket Ball

In an unusual and touching gesture, 11-year-old Vihan Srivastava was cremated on Wednesday along with his favourite cricket ball. “Vihan loved cricket. That’s why we cremated him with his cricket ball,” said the boy’s grandfather, SN Srivastava.

On Wednesday, grief and anger filled the air at the Deonar crematorium, where 70-75 people had assembled. Family, friends, neighbours, and work colleagues of Vihan’s parents were present. Many demanded accountability for the accident.

Vihan’s grandfather, SN Srivastava, believes the tragedy could have been averted if the civic authorities had acted in time.

“The tree was in a dangerous condition and should have been removed earlier. People had raised concerns, but no action was taken. My grandson will never come back, even if the government offers compensation. We only want justice. The officers responsible must be punished so that no other family has to suffer like ours,” he said.

Vihan was an only child. As his last rites were performed, his family stood silently beside his body, some unable to hold back tears. Vihan’s father, Gourav, works with UltraTech Cement, while his mother, Juhi, works with Tata Power. They leaned on each other for support during their son’s last rites.

“It is heartbreaking. Vihan was our neighbour. Just a few days ago, I asked him how old he was. He had an innocence and was always cheerful,” said Vinod Malhotra, a resident of Kukreja Residency in Chembur, where the Srivastavas live.

Family members described Vihan as an affectionate child. They said he had a budding interest in food and always asked relatives what they had eaten when they met.

Anil Kumar Srivastava, a retired employee of the Lok Sabha secretariat and a relative of the family, asked why trees that pose a danger are not identified and removed.

“Funds are provided for their maintenance. Authorities should regularly inspect weak trees and remove them before they become a threat. We need to know whether these funds are being properly used,” he said.

Also present at the funeral was local MLA Tukaram Kate, who claimed complaints about “dangerous trees” were being ignored. MP Anil Desai said saying regular inspection and maintenance of trees is necessary to prevent such tragedies.