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FIR against four PWD engineers in Budaun bridge case
Four UP PWD engineers face FIR for negligence after a vehicle fell from an open bridge, causing three deaths due to incorrect navigation.
Four engineers from the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) have been held responsible for the deaths of three passengers when their vehicle plunged from the open end of an under-repair bridge on Sunday. An FIR was lodged against them on Monday, said police.
The incident occurred due to an incorrect route being shown on a navigation map.
An FIR was filed at Dataganj police station in Budaun district on Monday by Nayab Tehsildar Chaviram. The FIR names assistant engineer Mohd Arif, assistant engineer Abhishek Kumar, junior engineer Ajay Gangwar, junior engineer Maharaj Singh, all from PWD Budaun, along with one unidentified person.
According to the complaint, the bridge in village Faridpur, located over river Ramganga, has an open and unused stretch on the Bareilly side. The section has remained open for an extended period, following its collapse during 2023 floods.
“Assistant engineer Mohd Arif, assistant engineer Ajay Gangwar, junior engineer Maharaj Singh were aware that if a vehicle passes through this section, it could face serious consequences. These officials deliberately failed to place barriers on the sides of the road and the bridge, neither did they install reflectors to alert vehicle drivers,” said Chaviram in the FIR.
The FIR stated, “There was a thin wall serving as barrier, which was pulled down by unidentified people earlier. Additionally, the navigation app directed vehicles through this route, failing to show any obstacle. On November 24, three people died while travelling in a car (UP 14 HT 3094), which exposes grave negligence. A case may be filed against the officials and the regional manager of the navigation app.” The case has been registered under section 105 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
A senior PWD official explained, “The bridge was in use until floods caused damage, and since then it has been under construction/repair and not accessible to commuters. Barricading is essential because, in confusion, a driver might take the bridge. Hence strong barricading is necessary to ensure even if someone tries to cross it by mistake , they are prevented froom falling off.”
Ashish Yadav, general secretary UP engineers’ Association, body of engineers across departments, emphasised, “All tenders for under construction or under repair bridges must include clause mandating safety measures until the work is completed. Additionally, funds allocated for such repair work should be earmarked separately to ensure proper safety precautions.”
