Piling rig that killed cop ‘did not belong to project’, contractor tells BMC

The site where Police Constable Santosh Chavan lost his life on the Sion-Panvel Highway in Mankhurd. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

A week after a construction rig collapsed near a flyover construction site on the Sion-Panvel Highway in Mankhurd, the contractor has informed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that the rig was not used in ongoing construction work, and it did not belong to the construction site or contractor. The response from has come as part of the ongoing inquiry by the deputy municipal commissioner, infrastructure, into the incident.

Incident and aftermath

On April 29, a construction rig rolled off its carrier onto the Sion-Panvel Highway, fatally injuring Police Constable Santosh Chavan and creating a traffic snarl on the stretch. The BMC slapped a fine of R1 crore on the contractor, and an inquiry was started by the civic body to look into alleged negligence.

Course of action

>> The response will be scrutinised by the inquiry committee, and a report will be submitted to the administration
>> According to the official, "The Mankhurd police have not reached out to BMC for a statement. The police inquiry is going on, and a charge sheet may be filed. Cooperation will be given to the police if required."

Contractor claims

>> The contractor has informed BMC that the rig did not belong to the construction site
>> It was passing through the site while being transported out of Mumbai by another unknown contractor
>> As the vehicle carrying the rig broke down en route, it was temporarily parked at the site of the project
>> However, the driver operating the carrier was unaware of the slush beneath the parked vehicle.
>> This caused the carrier to tilt, and the rig rolled off onto the road

Authorities comment

A senior civic official said, "We have received an explanation from the contractor. According to him, the carrier broke down and was parked at this construction site. Had the rig collapsed, it would have fallen straight on the road. In this case, it rolled off because it was in a resting position - indicating it was not in use."