Lucknow police files FIR against NHAI

Lucknow, Oct 1 (UNI) The Lucknow police have registered a criminal case under Section 304 A of the IPC against the National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) in connection with collapse of an under-construction flyover on the Lucknow -Faizabad highway in the state capital.

District Magistrate Chandrabhanu said here today that a technical cell was constituted to ascertain the people, who were to be named in the FIR but it was lodged in Chinhat kotwali against unknown NHAI officials.

Eight people had been reported to be killed in the incident, however, the state Director General of Police (DGP) Vikram Singh had confirmed five casualties.

The registration of case took place after UP Chief Minister Mayawati lashed out at the Centre for being unable to monitor the construction work, in which, according to her inferior quality material was used.

Even as the team of NHAI, the organisation under Union Ministry of Surface Transport, started its investigation, the state government held a high level meeting in this regard this morning.

The meeting assessed the reason behind the incident while reviewing status of other ongoing projects of the NHAI in the state, the official sources told UNI.

Ms Mayawati, who had rushed to the spot yesterday, had registered a strong protest with the Centre over the incident and expected strict monitoring of the other projects running in the state, in order to prevent such incidents in future.

The NHAI, in its preleminary investigation into the incident, questioned the engineers and contractors of the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), the firm responsible for the construction of the project. NHAI project director M K Jain, investigating the incident, however, was unavailable for his statement.

At present, 11 people were undergoing treatment at the government hospital here where the condition of three was stated to be critical.

Meanwhile, the vehicular traffic on the busy Lucknow -Faizabad highway was re-opened this morning after the debris of the collapsed flyover was removed from the road.

On the other hand police had to use some force when people staged dharna with the dead body of one Mahipal near the spot.

Mahipal, a labourer was among the people who was crushed to death in the incident.

UNI MB/SB SV HS1655