Bengaluru Metro Pillar Collapse: FIR filed against 8 accused, says Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra

Bengaluru: A case has been registered against Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC), five of its officials and two of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), a day after an under-construction metro pillar collapsed leaving a woman and her toddler son dead. Confirming the development, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday asserted that the government will take action against the accused.

"There are 8 accused, including Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC), its director Chaitanya, supervisor Lakshmipathi and JE Prabhakar. We'll take action for sure. It's utter negligence by the company," Karnataka Home Minister told news agency ANI.

 

Bengaluru under-construction metro pillar collapse | There are 8 accused, including Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC), its director Chaitanya, supervisor Lakshmipathi and JE Prabhakar. We'll take action for sure. It's utter negligence by the company: Karnataka HM A Jnanendra pic.twitter.com/vT6sALM19m — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2023

 

Bengaluru police sources also said that NCC is named as first accused (A1), followed by its officials. A BMRCL deputy chief engineer and executive engineer are A7 and A8 respectively. The company was the contractor that was carrying out the work.

The incident happened when the deceased were passing through the site of the Metro construction. The deceased were 25-year-old Tejaswini and her two-and-a half-year-old son Vihan. They were travelling on a bike with her husband and another child.

Madan Kumar, the father of the deceased woman, on Wednesday said that he would not take the body of his daughter until the contract is cancelled. He said, "Till the contractor's license is not cancelled, I won't take the body."

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has announced Rs 20 lakh as compensation to the family of the mother-son who lost their lives due to the collapse of as iron pillar at a Metro work site in Bengaluru.

The BMRCL also issued notices to the contractor and the engineers. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been requested to investigate and give a report. An internal technical team will also probe the matter, the official statement said. The BMRCL is deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident and stands with the distressed family, the corporation stated. 

The negligence of the BMRCL was flayed by the family of the deceased and the public. The family of the victims lodged a complaint against the contractor and the Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC). DCP (East) Bheemashankar Guled has confirmed that the police have received the complaint. 

Opposition Congress also raised the issue and pointed out that this is the result of the '40 per cent commission' government holding the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government responsible for the incident.