Mumbai, Feb 21 (PTI) Mumbai police on Saturday opposed the anticipatory bail plea of two executives of a contractor firm in connection with the parapet segment collapse of an under-construction metro rail line on February 14, saying they were responsible for ensuring safety measures at the site.
A portion of a concrete parapet of Line 4 collapsed onto moving traffic in Mulund, leaving one person dead and three others seriously injured, following which police registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, mischief causing damage and acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
Fearing arrest in the case, Alpesh Patel (managing partner) and Ganesh Gholap (technical director) of Milan Road Buildtech LLP, the firm building the line, moved for anticipatory bail before the sessions court claiming they had no direct role in the fieldwork and had been falsely implicated in the case.
Their plea, filed through advocate Suvarna Vast, claimed the site supervisor had specifically instructed the welder not to touch the hooks of the un-concretized precast parapet. They alleged the welder ignored these orders, causing the collapse, and subsequently fled the scene.
The company maintained its project director and other senior staff immediately rushed to the spot to assist victims and cooperated with the police investigation.
However, police in its written response to the plea, stated the duo was responsible for ensuring safety measures at the site.
If granted bail, they may not cooperate with the investigation or appear for court proceedings, police told court.
The applicants were summoned on February 16 to appear the next day with necessary documents but failed to show up, indicating they are evading the probe, police further said.
In the reply, police said their interrogation is essential to understand safety lapses in the project.
Maintaining that it was a grave offence, police said the incident has caused significant public anger, creating a potential law and order issue.
Police also opposed the pre-arrest bail plea of project consultant T Sai Suresh Kumar.
The investigation has revealed officials from Milan Road Buildtech and DB Hill-LBG allegedly installed the parapets without performing essential concreting, police said.
It claimed the accused were fully aware that this shortcut could cause the heavy structures to fall on people below but “deliberately” proceeded with the work and failed to notify safety agencies.
The matter will be next heard on February 25. PTI AVI BNM
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