In a tragic incident in Noida, Vikas Chawla, a 46-year-old manager at a co-working space, lost his life after a chunk of concrete fell from a roof beam at his residential society, Arihant Ambar. The accident occurred on Saturday afternoon when Chawla was heading out on his motorcycle to fetch medicine for his wife, who was suffering from flu.
The Incident
Chawla had been at home all day caring for his family. Around 4 pm, he decided to ride to a nearby chemist, a trip that would have taken no more than five minutes. As he wheeled his motorcycle out of the parking area of Tower D, a piece of concrete broke away from a roof beam above and struck him on the head. Residents and security guards rushed him to Yatharth Hospital, but doctors declared him brought dead.
“It all happened within 10 minutes,” said Rohit Chawla, the victim’s cousin. “One moment he was at home taking care of his family. The next, the society guard called to say he had met with a grievous accident.”
Family in Financial Crisis
Chawla was the sole earning member of his household, which included his wife Sukvinder Kaur, two children, and his elderly parents. His father, now in his eighties, retired from a private company nearly two decades ago and receives no pension. The family had moved to Greater Noida West from Delhi’s Kalkaji about three years ago and lived on rent. With Chawla gone, their financial situation has become dire.
“It is almost a hand-to-mouth situation now,” Rohit said.
Sukvinder, still unwell with the flu, has barely eaten since the tragedy. “She is trying her best to make sense of it, but no one can imagine that the last time you would see your husband alive would be when he was just stepping out to get you medicine,” Rohit added.
The couple’s younger child, a four-year-old boy, does not yet understand what has happened. Their elder child, a 17-year-old daughter who recently sat for her Class 12 board examinations, is struggling to come to terms with the loss. Her college admissions, once a matter for father and daughter to navigate together, now loom ahead without her most trusted guide.
“She depended on her father for every decision regarding her career and studies,” Rohit said. “Now she feels completely lost.”
Society in Shock
The tragedy has shaken the residential society. Residents say they are now afraid to step outside. “It could have been anyone in place of Vikas,” said Amit Gupta, a resident. “Families are afraid to step out. Children are not going downstairs to play. We are all very scared.”
Gupta said residents have launched a fund-raising effort across the society’s 628 flats, appealing to each household to contribute. “We met the family, and they are in complete financial crisis,” he said.
Relatives are grateful for the gesture. “We are thankful that residents are trying to help, but this is a very tragic time for the entire family,” Rohit said.
Wider Concerns
The incident has drawn attention to maintenance standards and structural safety in Greater Noida West’s high-rise societies, an area that has expanded rapidly, with thousands of families moving into complexes where the gap between construction promises and upkeep reality has long been a source of complaint.
Police have arrested Deepak Kumar, a Nimbus employee who was serving as the maintenance in-charge of the society. They have also questioned members of the Apartment Owners Association (AOA) and some people associated with the builder. However, the Chawla family is pressing for accountability beyond the immediate arrest. “We hope more people are held accountable during the investigation so that such incidents do not happen again,” Rohit said.
Chawla’s last rites were performed at Antim Niwas in Sector 94 on Sunday. By Monday, the family’s home was crowded with relatives and neighbours offering condolences to a household still in shock.
