Plank crashes onto car at same Mulund spot weeks after deadly collapse, says MLA; MMRDA refutes claim

As per Kotecha, around 10.15 am on LBS Road, a 3×8 ft wooden plank fell on a passing car, damaging the vehicle, while the occupant, Dr Anita Mathew, a doctor of interior medicine at Fortis Hospital, escaped unhurt.

The doctor confirmed the incident.

The MLA who visited the site, said, “Since the doctor was inside the vehicle, she escaped unhurt. But had the incident happened with a two-wheeler rider or a pedestrian, it could have resulted in a fatality.”

Kotecha linked the incident to a previous incident on the same stretch that took place on February 14 where a parapet wall slab fell onto LBS Road, killing one person and injuring three others.

“An incident occurred just two months ago at this very construction site resulted in a citizen losing his life and injuries to three others, of which two spent over a month in the hospital. Still, negligence in construction work continues, a sign that MMRDA has not taken any meaningful action against the contractor. The work continues to be carried out in a negligent manner,” he said.

An MMRDA official said, “In this case, while a complaint was reported, no such incident has been recorded or corroborated at the site. There is no evidence of any material falling from the viaduct, and no construction activity was underway in the mentioned stretch at the time. Additionally, no injuries or damage have been reported.

As a responsible authority, MMRDA has nonetheless initiated a detailed investigation through the General Consultant to verify the matter thoroughly and ensure continued adherence to the highest safety standards.”

A police officer from the Mulund police said, “The person in the car has not filed a complaint, nor have we found any proof of the wooden plank or any eyewitnesses. However, we are checking for CCTV footage.”

Dr Mathew said she did not file a complaint due to being preoccupied with an ailing relative at home.

The Metro construction work on the stretch is being executed by a joint venture between Reliance Infrastructure and Astaldi, with Milan Road Buildtech as the subcontractor. According to Kotecha, representatives of the sub-contractor “feigned ignorance” when questioned about how the plank fell.

He has called on the MMRDA to terminate the contract and ensure that construction proceeds only under round-the-clock supervision by its engineers. He also directed that a police complaint be filed.

Following the February accident, the MMRDA had imposed a ₹5 crore fine on the contractor and ₹1 crore on consultant DB Hill LBG, and initially announced the consultant’s termination. However, the firm was later retained on the project.