FIR lodged against NCC & BMRC officials, inquiry set up for Bangalore Metro incident

Bengaluru, India (Metro Rail Today): A shocking incident on 10th January 2023, saw the death of a twenty eight year old software engineer Tejaswini and her two and a half year old son Vihaan when an under construction pillar of the Bangalore Metro was collapsed at Nagavara in Bengaluru. 

Three officers of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) were suspended on next day i.e. 11th January 2023. BMRCL suspended its Deputy Chief Engineer, Executive Engineer and Site Engineer and also tasked the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) with holding an independent probe into the matter.

Tejaswini along with her son was travelling with her husband Lohith Kumar on a motorbike when the incident took place. Lohith was riding a bike to drop his children at a nursery school and his wife at her office.

BMRC has also issued notices to the contractor Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) and engineers concerned in connection with the collapse of an under-construction metro pillar in Bengaluru, and said that an internal technical team would investigate the matter.

The Police has registered a case against Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC), five of its officials and two of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in connection with the incident. NCC is named first accused (A1), followed by its officials. A BMRCL deputy chief engineer and executive engineer are A7 and A8 respectively.

“NCC’s Junior Engineer Prabhakar, Director Chaitanya, Special project manager Mathai, Project Manager Vikas Singh, Supervisor Lakshmipathu, BMRCL’s executive engineer Mahesh Bendekari and deputy chief engineer Venkatesh Shetty have been named in the FIR,” informed Karnataka Home Minister Araga Janendra.

In November 2021, BMRCL has awarded a contract worth Rs 739.04 crore to NCC for the construction of elevated structure (viduct & stations) of length 11.003 km (including 281.000m of viaduct beyond Phase 2A) from Chainage 0.000 m to 10072.000m and eight elevated metro stations viz. Kasturi Nagar, Horamavu, HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, HBR Layout, Nagawara, Veerannapalya and Kempapura, including 650.00m link line connectivity to Baiyappanahalli, road widening, utility diversion and allied works of Bengaluru Metro Rail Project Phase-2B.

In Februray 2022, NCC engineers commenced the construction work with piling work.

According to BMRCL, this was first civilian death in the history of Bengalure Metro. BMRCL announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Rs 10 lakh each will be given to the family of the deceased.