Builder, contractor held for 3 labourers’ deaths in Virar

Builder and contractor of a construction site in Virar East have been arrested after three women labourers were killed and two others injured when a recently constructed brick wall collapsed on them. The architect is currently absconding.

Police have arrested the builder and contractor of a construction site in Virar East where three women labourers were killed, and two others suffered grievous injuries after a portion of a recently constructed brick wall collapsed on them on Tuesday evening.

Builder, contractor held for 3 labourers’ deaths in Virar

Builder Chirag Doshi and his contractor Bharat Patel have been booked under section 304A (causing death by negligence), 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or the personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or the personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.

“We have also booked the architect, but he is absconding. We have set up two teams to find him,” Rajendra Kamble, senior police inspector at Virar police station, said.

The police are now checking the construction documents, the building plans, and the quality of material used in the construction.

The incident occurred at Manvel Pada where 12 labourers had been working, without safety gears, on a building, Surya Kiran, for the last few months, police officers said.

The deceased, identified as Sahubai Sule, 45, Lakshmi Bai Gawane, 40, and Radhabai Navghare, 40, were from Parbhani and Hingoli in the Vidarbha region. Nandabai Gawane, 32, is one of the two labourers who sustained injuries.

Arjun Gawane, a labourer, said his wife and his brother’s wife died in the collapse.

“We are labourers and do not know anything about architecture. But the wall which was constructed on the boundary of the ditch was only 14 feet and despite asking for safety gears from the contractor and the supervisor, we were turned away with a promise that they would get them once the foundation work was complete,” Gawane said.