By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: A case of death by negligence has been registered against three persons including two Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, (BHEL), officials in connection with the collapse of ceiling of Kasturba Gandhi Hospital on April 26, wherein three persons were killed and more than two dozen were injured, under Section 304-A of IPC – which says culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Police registered FIR against two senior managers of BHEL namely JK Shrivastava, supervisor Abhishek Kumar and contractor Jagdeep Singh Gangwar and arrested them. However, they were released on bail after furnishing personal bonds. The case was booked under Section 304-A along with Sections 288, 337 and 338 of the IPC.
Rescue operations in progress (File photo)
According to police the sources, carelessness of the contractor and callousness of certain BHEL officials were the reason behind the incident. Following the incident, the BHEL administration, particularly its civil department, was in the dock as building was 45-year-old and ground floor was being renovated for development of ICU.
Blaming BHEL administration for the incident, INTUC president RD Tripathi said: “The civil department should take the responsibility as pillars had developed cracks and even labourers had pointed out to the contractor. However, the labourers’ reports were not taken seriously and renovation work was carried out. Action should be taken against the civil department and the contractor”.
Meanwhile, BHEL Executive Director S. R. Prasad called on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday and apprised him of the incident of ceiling collapse in Kasturba Hospital. BHEL directors MK Dubey and R Krishnan were also present at the meeting with the chief minister.
BHEL ED Prasad informed the chief minister that the BHEL administration had constituted an inquiry committee headed by a MANIT professor and a report will be submitted within a week. Besides, investigation into all the buildings will be conducted and if any building is found dilapidated, it will be dismantled. BHEL ED assured the Chief Minister of keeping it in mind that such incident would not recur in future. BHEL officials also apprised Chouhan of relief work being done. ([email protected])