Pallavi Jadhav (18) and her 16-year-old sister Rohini lost their lives after the 35-year-old compound wall collapsed. Their mother Tulasi Jadhav, 45, and neighbours —Ramdin Kanojia, 42, and Surendra Kanojia, 20 — suffered minor injuries and are currently recuperating at the Elizabeth Nursing Home at Malabar Hill.

Huge stones fell on the victims while they were sleeping outside their homes at the servant quarters of the Rocky Hill Complex that houses Bombay High Court judges and other state government officials. The residents of the quarters removed the girls from beneath the debris and they were rushed to the Elizabeth Nursing Home, where they were declared brought dead.

“Initially, the wall was eight feet high, but the residents of Khatau raised its height to 12-ft around five years ago. Not a single person from the building came forward to help us. They were just looking at the chaos through their windows,” said Manasi Shelke, a resident of the quarters.

Police Inspector Ashok Sarambalkar of the Malabar Hill Police Station said, “The chairman of the Khatau Building Navratan Kothari said in his statement that the wall was built a long time ago and he knew nothing about it. We have filed a case under Sections 337 and 304A of IPC for causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others and causing death by negligence against unknown person.”

Navaratan Kothari was unavailable for comment.