Delhi Police have submitted their investigation report to the Delhi High Court concerning the tragic deaths of a woman and her three-year-old son, who drowned in an under-construction drain in the Ghazipur area. The report highlights criminal negligence on the part of several individuals involved in the construction and oversight of the drain.
The investigation has led to the arrest of Jaswinder Pal Singh, the contractor, and his supervisor, Tehdul Rehman alias Tahir. The report also implicates two engineers from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), identifying lapses in their supervisory roles.
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Regional Deputy Commissioner of Police Apoorva Gupta presented the findings before the bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.The report revealed that although the construction of the drain included high walls and RCC slabs, workers left several sections, including the area near Ambedkar Gate, open. Workers left these sections, which were intended to be covered with removable slabs, uncovered, creating a hazardous situation.
Inspections Of Documents
Documents seize from the DDA indicate that the contractor instruction to implement all necessary safety measures. However, the contractor failed to comply, and DDA officials did not conduct required inspections. The report highlights that the Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE) were responsible for regular and periodic supervision, respectively. Neither had provided documentation showing any objections or oversight related to the contractor’s work.
DCP Gupta informed the court that the investigation would take about one month to complete, as the team reviews additional documents from the DDA and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The High Court has directed the DDA to clarify the amount of compensation it will offer to the victim’s family at the next hearing scheduled for September 5.
The tragic incident occurred on July 31 when Tanuja, 22, and her three-year-old son drowned in the partially open drain during heavy rains in Delhi-NCR.
