Manhole deaths: Contractor booked

The accused, identified as Lakshman Uttam Chavhan, had been hired by the MIDC for cleaning the main drainage line. “He had hired the three men who died because they were not provided with masks and other safety gear,” the FIR read.

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Police said that the accused, a resident of Kalyan, fled from his house right after the incident. “We are looking for him but he is on the run. We have formed five teams to look for him,” said a senior officer. He added, “We have booked him under section 304 A of the IPC for causing death due to negligence, among other sections.”

On Friday, three men, identified as Ghanshyam Kori (40), Mahadev Dhonde(36) and Devidas Pachange (40), were found dead inside a manhole chamber while cleaning the drains in Kalyan’s Tilak Nagar area.

“Kori went in and collapsed, causing the other two to follow and look for him. Eventually, all of them were found dead by the firemen. The cause of death, prima facie, seems to be suffocation,” said a senior officer from Tilak Nagar police station. “Kori was the only earning member in a family of six. His youngest, one year old, hasn’t left his mother’s side. “Too many people have visited us. But we don’t know where to go to,” said one of his cousins, who lived nearby. Even the Pachange and Dhonde families are left with no breadwinners in the family, sources confirmed.

“We hope the government steps in and helps us out,” said Kori’s relative.