Pune under-construction temple site accident: contractor arrested

The Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Thursday arrested the contractor of the under-construction temple site near Pimple Gurav residential area. On Wednesday, three labourers lost their life and eight others were injured after a slab of the temple under construction collapsed.

The contractor has been identified as Rahul Jaiprakash Jagtap, 36, a resident of Pandare village in Baramati.

According to Prabhakar Shinde, senior inspector, the injured workers suffered injuries to head, arms and legs and are undergoing treatment at Aundh hospital.

Prabhakar said, “The contractor is remanded to one day police custody. He is the only accused in the case so far.” Construction permission and unauthorised construction control department of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) served a notice to the contractor in November 2018 to stop the construction. The contractor did not provide workers with helmets and other safety gear, a civic official said.

A case under Sections 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Sangavi police station on Wednesday.

PCMC raze illegal temple under construction

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Thursday razed the under-construction temple after a slab collapse claimed three labourers on Wednesday. Spread across 132 square feet, the structure was demolished with the help of 29 officials, an earth moving machine and a dumper.

Dilip Gaikwad, additional commissioner of PCMC, said, “The municipal commissioner has appointed a two-member committee to conduct an inquiry in the matter. The temple site is located near a riverbed and the construction was illegal. The two-member committee will consist of city engineer Rajan Patil and additional commissioner Santosh Patil.”

“The structure was razed by 2:30 pm today,” said Rajan, who along with Santosh, will submit a report about the incident to PCMC.

According to a civic official, the contractor has been arrested, but the ownership of the land could not be ascertained. While PCMC officials claim that the temple site is near a river bed, the police claim that the land belongs to the villagers with no clear ownership.

“However, we have not added any more accused other than the contractor in the complaint yet,” said Prabhakar Shinde, senior inspector, Sangavi police station.