Karnataka: Criminal case against telecom operator after woman falls into pit

Mangaluru city corporation has filed a criminal case against telecom major Airtel after a woman fell into a pit dug by it without permission.

Published on: Dec 21, 2022, 10:02:05 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Poulomi Ghosh

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Telecom giant Airtel is facing a criminal case in Karnataka's Mangaluru for digging a pit without permission and failing to close it after its work was finished. Mangaluru city's civic body, the MCC - Mangaluru City Corporation - filed the case on Tuesday after a woman fell into the pit and sustained injuries.

A woman fell into the pit that was dug up on the sidewalk in Mangaluru's Ambedkar circle. (@HateDetectors/Twitter)

Airtel is accused of negligence after it dug open a part of the sidewalk in Mangaluru's Ambedkar circle to repair underground cables. The company had not taken prior permission from the civic body, nor did it take any precautionary measures to alert residents, a circular issued by the MCC said. Moreover, it is facing the charge after a woman fell into the pit and got injured as it failed to close the pit even after the repair work was done.

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Hindustan Times could not immediately ascertain the identity of the woman or her present condition. The circular issued by the MCC was shared online by a Twitter account called ‘Hate Detector’, which also shared pictures of the pit, where the woman is seen being lifted out by locals.

“Due to pit left open by civic agencies in Mangaluru an elderly woman suffered injuries when she fell into it. Locals spotted the women and rescued her. The pit is said to have been left open and unfinished for a month now. Incident happened near Ambedkar circle,” the Twitter user wrote.

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“Mangaluru City Corporation files criminal case against Airtel for negligence after a woman falls into pit dug up by it without permission,” it later updated.

Airtel has not yet responded to the allegation. Meanwhile, further investigation is underway and more details are awaited.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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