A man's death in an open manhole in Mumbai's Sakinaka triggered a political storm in the Maharashtra Assembly. The Speaker has ordered a culpable homicide FIR against those responsible, while the Opposition slammed the government for negligence.
Political Uproar Over Negligence
The death of a man after falling into an open manhole in Mumbai's Sakinaka area on Thursday sparked a massive uproar in the ongoing monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. BJP MLA Ameet Satam raised the issue during the session, demanding immediate suspension and stringent action against the responsible contractors and civic officials.
Taking serious note of the incident, Speaker Rahul Narvekar directed the state government to go beyond mere suspensions. He suggested that an FIR under charges of culpable homicide be registered against those found responsible for the negligence.
Opposition Slams Government
The incident has provided fresh ammunition to the Opposition, with Congress MLA Nana Patole launching a scathing attack on the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). "The question arising is: how many lives of Mumbaikars does this government--the Mahayuti government of Maharashtra and the Mahayuti-led municipal corporation--want to claim?" Patole told reporters.
Referring to recent fatalities in the city, the senior Congress leader added, "First, an innocent child died when a tree fell on a bus during the initial rains; today, another life was lost because a manhole was left open. How many lives do they want? Ordinary people are losing their lives due to an administration and government mired in corruption."
BMC Suspends Officials, Launches Probe
Earlier, the BMC had suspended four officials, including the Assistant Commissioner of 'L' Ward, pending an inquiry into the tragic death of a man who fell into an open manhole amid heavy rainfall in the Sakinaka area of Andheri East.
The authorities have identified the deceased victim as Aslam Isak Shaikh (60), a resident of Yadav Nagar in Sakinaka.
According to the BMC, the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Sakinaka Police Station on Khairani Road, where repair work on a water drainage grill was being carried out. The victim was a pedestrian who accidentally fell into the drainage through an open manhole while the maintenance work was in progress.
The BMC further stated that although his body has been located, efforts are currently underway to recover it.
On the orders of BMC Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, a high-level search committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs). The committee has been directed to submit a comprehensive report on the incident within seven days. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)