Metro 4 parapet collapse: Welder held from UP, total arrests rise to six
The slab fell around 12.15 pm on February 14 onto an autorickshaw and a Skoda car travelling along LBS Road in Mulund, killing one person and injuring three others.
A view of a damaged rickshaw after a portion of a cement metro pillar collapsed during the construction work and fell onto it, at LBS Road, Mulund, in Mumbai. (Source: ANI) More than two weeks after a Metro 4 parapet wall collapse in Mulund killed one person and injured three others, police have arrested a 54-year-old welder from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly cutting a critical interlocking hook that led to the structure giving way.
The accused, Ramashish Yadav, was apprehended from his native village in Deoria district after evading arrest since the incident. With his arrest, the total number of accused held in the case has risen to six.
Earlier, police had arrested Harish Chauhan (Project Director), Kuldeep Sapkal (Project Manager), Saurab Singh and Prashant Bhoir (Deputy Manager and Project Manager respectively) of Milan Road Buildtech, and Avdhoot Inamdar, Project Manager of DB Hill LBG.
The slab fell around 12.15 pm on February 14 onto an autorickshaw and a Skoda car travelling along LBS Road in Mulund, killing one person and injuring three others.
According to investigators, Yadav admitted during questioning that he was using a gas cutter to remove excess concrete from the parapet wall when he inadvertently cut the interlocking hook between segments. “Before he realised what had happened, a 4–6 ft parapet wall collapsed onto an autorickshaw,” an officer said. Yadav allegedly fled after learning that a person had died in the incident.
Police said he first went to his residence in Digha near Airoli, collected his belongings and then travelled to Kurla Terminus before heading to his native village. His mobile phone was switched off, making it difficult to trace him. Investigators tracked him down after analysing his call detail records and contacting a relative in Digha, who provided his Deoria address.
A police team was dispatched to Uttar Pradesh on Sunday and brought Yadav to Mumbai. He was initially remanded to two days’ police custody by a Mulund court and was later sent to judicial custody on Wednesday after his remand ended.
Milan Road Buildtech is a subcontractor of Reliance Astaldi JV, while DB Hill LBG is the supervisory firm for the project. Another accused, Sai Suresh, a consultant with DB Hill LBG, has sought anticipatory bail – his plea is scheduled for hearing on March 5.
An FIR has been registered against seven persons under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, mischief causing damage exceeding Rs 1 lakh, and common intention.
During questioning, supervisor Prashant Bhoir told police he had cautioned the worker against cutting the interlock between parapet segments shortly before the incident. He claimed he moved ahead to inspect other work and within 15 minutes the wall collapsed.
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