Pune: Four arrested in Yerwada slab collapse that killed five workers

Pune city police have arrested four persons in connection with the slab collapse in Yerwada that killed five workers and left at least four others injured on Thursday night.

Police have identified the accused persons as Imtiyaz Abdul Barkhat Ansari (38), resident of Maharashtra housing board society in Yerwada and native of Bihar, Mohammad Sharif Habibul Raheman Alam (35), resident of Labour Camp of Wadia Stud Farm in Kalyani Nagar and native of Bihar, Vijay Eknath Dhakode (25), resident of Shikrapur, and Mujif Khan (45), resident of Maharashtra housing board society in Yerwada and native of Mumbra in Mumbai.

All were earlier detained for questioning and later put under arrest on Friday evening as a probe pointed to their role in the alleged negligence that led to the slab collapse on the construction site of Bluegrass Business Park near the Shastri Nagar junction on the Pune-Ahmednagar road in Yerwada.

Amitabh Gupta, Commissioner of Pune city police, confirmed the four arrests. Police said Imtiyaz is the security engineer, Mohammad Alam the site supervisor, Dhaktode the site engineer and Mujiz Khan the site manager.
“Police are investigating the case. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has launched an inquiry into the incident. PMC report is awaited for further action,” said Gupta.

The mishap was reported around 10 pm on Thursday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4) Rohidas Pawar said, “It is a site of an under-construction building and a structure had been constructed for laying down the slab for the basement. The structure collapsed while the slab was on.” The labourers fell down as the supporting structure came down and were buried under tons of metal, officials said.

After receiving information, a team of Pune Fire Brigade rushed to the spot. Firemen managed to rescue a few workers from the site but five — identified as Sohail Mohammed (22), Mohammed Sameer (30), Mobid Alam (40), Majroom Hussain (35) and Tajib Alam (40) — died in the incident.

Four workers identified as Mohammed Rashid (27), Mohammed Faieem (27), Mohammed Sahil (35) and Mohammed Alam (47) were injured and are being provided treatment at a hospital. Police said all victims are from Bihar.

Mohammad Nahid Mohammad Master (21), a construction worker, filed an FIR in this case at the Yerwada police station. As stated in the FIR, Bluegrass Business Park’s construction contractor Ahluwalia Contractor Private Limited’s Mohan Achalkar along with several other unnamed staff of the firm, MCPL’s labour supervisor identified as Sharif, and CNW’s supervisor Satish have been booked by police under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (endangering human life by acting negligently), 337 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“Despite knowing that accidents may take place during the construction, the accused persons did not take requisite precautions and caused the death of five persons,” reads the FIR. Names of the arrested accused were later included in the case.

Shivaji Khatke, Director, Building Contractors’ Association, who visited the site on Friday, said, “The accident has taken place in the basement raft, which was under construction. Cup lock pole support which lifts the upper raft (iron rods mesh) was not enough. Such heavy material requires more support. In the last 20 years, I have seen the first such mishap. This could have been avoided with proper precautions, which were missing.”

“Maharashtra government and PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) have laid out orders for labour registration with Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board since 2017-2018, but the implementation is weak. We have been working for this because if these workers are not registered and die or get injured in such incidents they don’t get the due benefits from government schemes. Such accidents are on rise and hence we are going to stage a protest in coordination with Maharashtra Construction Workers’ Association,” said Kabeer Panasare of Shramik Hakka Andolan.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his condolences to the victims of the slab collapse incident. “Pained by the mishap at an under-construction building in Pune. Condolences to the bereaved families. I hope that all those injured in the mishap recover at the earliest,” Modi tweeted.