‘Iron rods fell…. it was pitch dark’: Day after 7 killed at Gurgaon STP construction site, workers recount horror

Tuesday’s arrests came following the registration of an FIR against the real estate company, Signature Global’s City of Colours, contractor Balaji Construction Company (BICPL), and several site officials. The case was registered at the Bilaspur police station based on a written complaint filed by the brother of Satish, one of the deceased workers. The complaint holds the developer, the executing contractor, site in-charge, project in-charge, safety officer and contractor Deendayal Sharma responsible for the tragedy, alleging that no adequate protective equipment or safety arrangements were in place.

The two arrested accused have been identified as Dinesh Veer (Project Manager), a resident of Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh, and Vikas Pandey (Structure Engineer), who hails from Mirzapur district of UP. Both were arrested from Gurgaon and will be produced before the court on Wednesday, police said.

Lal, another labourer from Nepal who suffered bruises on his head, legs and shoulder, was recovering on Tuesday at a hospital in Bhiwadi. ‘”We were on the opposite side of the wall when it fell. We tried to run but got hit hard by the rods that fell from above,” he told The Indian Express while recollecting the incident.

“Our wives and kids are worried sick and crying,” said Inderjeet, another injured construction worker from Nepal. “There are 12 Nepalis with us… we stay in labour quarters near the project site. We are given Rs 19,000 per month and lodging… rest we manage on our own. We were given safety shoes and helmets.”

The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to the Gurgaon mortuary for post-mortem, said police, adding that the investigations into the FIR are ongoing under relevant sections of law.

Meanwhile, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar constituted a magisterial inquiry committee — headed by Manesar SDM Darshan Yadav — to probe the causes of the collapse and fix accountability. The committee includes the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Pataudi), the District Town Planner (Enforcement), and the Executive Engineer-II, Public Works Department (Buildings & Roads).

When contacted, a spokesperson from Signature Global (India) Ltd. said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident at our Sidhrawali, Gurugram under-construction site . . Our hearts go out to the bereaved families during this extremely difficult time. Our teams immediately reached the site and initiated necessary response and support measures. Prima facie, it appears to be the negligence of the construction contractor, Balajee Infratech & Constructions Pvt. Ltd. Immediately, we issued a show-cause notice to the contractor, asking them to explain the reasons for this incident”.

The statement added that the company has constituted an independent enquiry into this incident and strict action will be taken against those found responsible, and suspended the services of three personnel responsible for the project as an interim measure.

“While this loss is irreversible, we are extending immediate financial, medical, and logistical support to the affected workers and their families and are fully cooperating with local authorities. As a responsible corporate, Signature Global remains firmly committed to the highest standards of safety. We are also initiating an independent review to further strengthen safety protocols across all our ongoing projects to ensure such incidents do not occur in the future.”