Bengaluru contractor arrested after wooden pole falls, kills 15-year-old girl: Report

Tejeswini was walking home when a wooden pole, which was supporting scaffolding on the sixth floor of an under-construction building, detached and fell on her.

Updated on: Jan 6, 2025, 11:26:01 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Anagha Deshpande

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A day after a 15-year-old girl tragically lost her life in an accident involving a fallen wooden survey pole at an under-construction site in VV Puram, Bengaluru, police arrested the civil contractor responsible for the project.

The contractor, identified as Chandrashekar, was taken into custody on Sunday. (Representational Image)

The contractor, identified as Chandrashekar, was taken into custody on Sunday., Indian Express reported. Tejeswini, a Class 10 student at Vasavi Vidya Niketan, was a resident of KG Nagar. She was walking home when a wooden pole, which was supporting scaffolding on the sixth floor of an under-construction building, detached and fell on her. Passers-by immediately took her to Victoria Hospital, but she was later transferred to NIMHANS. However, she succumbed to her injuries later that day.

Her father Sudhakar Rao filed a complaint alleging that the builder failed to implement adequate safety measures. The police registered an FIR under Section 106(1) (death due to negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Following a preliminary investigation, the VV Puram police determined that negligence was a contributing factor at the site. Chandrashekar was arrested after failing to provide satisfactory explanations during questioning. Additionally, notices have been sent to other individuals connected to the construction project, including the building's owner. Police indicated that further investigations will continue.

The police had cordoned off the area and directed the construction workers to implement additional safety precautions, such as setting up a safety net around the building to protect pedestrians.

(Also Read: HMPV: 8-month-old at Bengaluru hospital suspected to have tested positive)

In a similar incident, four children sustained injuries after the plaster ceiling of an anganwadi building collapsed on them in Karnataka's Kolar district.

The injured children—Likhita, Parinitha, Sanvi, and Charitha—were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, PTI reported.

Muniraju, Karnataka’s Child Development Officer, assured that swift measures will be taken to repair and restore anganwadi buildings in the district to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Local Congress MLA N. Narayanswami visited the site of the collapse, inspecting the damage and promising to address the safety concerns.

(Also Read: IIM-Bangalore student found dead on campus day after birthday celebration: Report)

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