Flyover collapse: Cases registered against Gammon India Ltd

Hyderabad, Sep 10 (UNI) The city police today registered cases against Gammon India Limited, entrusted with the flyover construction work at the arterial Panchagutta junction here, based on a complaint lodged by a victim of the flyover collapse yesterday.

Police said cases were booked against the company under sections 304 A, 337 and 338 of IPC.

Srinivas, injured when the scaffolding of the flyover under construction caved in, leaving two dead and ten others injured, lodged a complaint against the company, which was awarded the contract by the State Government last year.

Meanwhile, taking serious view of the incident, the Andhra Pradesh Government suspended Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Executive Engineer B N Rajeswar, Deputy Executive Engineer S Venkataramani and Assistant Engineer K Bheema Naik and appointed a five-member technical inquiry committee to probe the disaster.

After a review by Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Backward Classes Minister Mukesh Goud told reporters here that an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh would be paid to the families of the deceased and Rs 20,000 for the injured.

An Expert Committee, headed by the Roads and Buildings Department Engineering Chief, had been asked to submit its report in three days.

Police said cement and concrete debris, weighing over 50 tonnes, had been removed from the spot by pressing heavy duty cranes and proclains into service. Even the two cars and two autos struck under the debris were recovered. The vehicles were completely damaged.

The busy Panjagutta area was cordoned off since last night to enable removal of debris.

The construction firm, however, blamed digging work being carried out by the sewage board for the cause of the mishap.

Gammon India General Manager K Jayachandran said digging work by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Works and Sewerage Board to lay pipelines near the flyover might have loosened the soil, resulting in the mishap.

UNI