Contractor, authority officials held over minor’s drowning in Greater Noida

A day after a six-year-old boy drowned in an open water-filled pit in a residential society in Knowledge Park 2, three people were arrested, including two officials of the Greater Noida Authority’s water department, said police

A day after a six-year-old boy drowned in an open water-filled pit in a residential society in Knowledge Park 2, three people were arrested, including two officials of the Greater Noida Authority’s water department, said police.

The statement said that the Authority had also filed a complaint against the contractor. (Sunil Ghosh /HT PHOTO)

“The contractor, a 53-year-old resident of Crossing Republik in Ghaziabad, was arrested for negligence on Sunday,” Ravi Shankar Nim, deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida told HT.

Later, police said a supervisor (26), a resident of Bulandshahr, and a technical supervisor (35), a resident of Ghaziabad had also been arrested.

Earlier, in a media statement issued on Sunday morning, the Greater Noida Authority said the contractor company had been “blacklisted”, and the water department’s supervisor, and technical supervisor had been removed from their active duties “for negligence”.

The statement said that the Authority had also filed a complaint against the contractor.

Later on Sunday, the authority released another statement, stating that action has been initiated against three other officials from the water department.

“The Greater Noida authority has recommended the suspension and initiation of departmental proceedings against the water department’s manager and assistant manager. It has also recommended departmental action against the senior manager. With immediate effect, all three officials have been relieved of their responsibilities and attached to the Greater Noida West Office,” the statement read.

Directions for a departmental enquiry had also been initiated by the CEO, which will be conducted by general manager (projects) AK Singh.

“The action has been taken based on the joint inquiry report submitted by officer on special duty Abhishek Pathak and general manager (projects) A.K. Singh,” the statement added.

The incident took place around 7pm on Saturday in Kaladham Society when the minor boy, the son of a Kendriya Vidyalaya vice-principal, fell into the pit dug up for borewell work in the society. The friend he was playing with alerted some people but by the time he was rescued and rushed to the hospital, he had died.

On a complaint by the victim’s father, police had registered a case under Sections 105 (culpable homicide) and 125 (act endangering life or personal safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Knowledge Park police station.

Pranjil, a resident of the society, on Sunday told media that the victim was picking up a stick when he fell.

Police investigation found that there were no signboards or barricading around the pit.

In the statement, Greater Noida Authority CEO Ravi Kumar NG said, “A preliminary inquiry found that the contractor had started the work without putting in place mandatory safety measures at the site.”

Sub-divisional magistrate (Sadar) Ashutosh Gupta, who visited the spot on Sunday, said a detailed report on the incident will be submitted at the earliest, the official statement said.

The administration has also directed all engineering and project divisions to ensure proper barricading and other safety measures are in place before any construction work begins.

(With inputs from Vinod Rajput)