Five Arrests, Rs 6 Crore Fine: Mumbai Metro Pillar Collapse Kills 1, Engineer Suspended

Mumbai: In the aftermath of the tragic pillar collapse on the under-construction Metro Line-4 in Mulund, Mumbai authorities have taken swift punitive action, arresting five project officials and imposing heavy financial penalties on firms involved in the work, officials said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when a large concrete slab from the elevated Metro Line-4 corridor fell on an auto-rickshaw and a car on LBS Marg in Mulund, killing one person and injuring three others.

Arrests and Legal Action

Five employees associated with the metro construction have been arrested after offences were registered under Sections 105, 110, 324(5), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said.
The accused include:

• Harish Chauhan, Project Director
• Kuldeep Sapkal, Project Manager
• Saurabh Singh, Deputy Manager
• Prashant Bhoir, Supervisor
• Avdhoot Inamdar, Project Manager

Four of the accused are from subcontractor Milan Road Buildtech, while Inamdar is from supervisory firm DB Hill LBG, which was overseeing aspects of the project. All are connected to the main contractor Reliance Astaldi JV executing the metro work.

Suspension and Penalties

Acknowledging the gravity of the incident, Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde ordered the immediate suspension of Executive Engineer Satyajeet Salve, who was in charge of the Metro work at the site. The government also imposed financial penalties totaling Rs 6 crore on the contractors and consultants involved.

Shinde has directed a comprehensive safety and structural audit of the entire Metro Line-4 stretch, stating that stricter compliance and corrective measures are needed to avert future mishaps.

Financial Aid To Victims

The deceased has been identified locally as Ramdhan Yadav, a resident and community leader who was travelling in the auto-rickshaw at the time of the collapse. Authorities said three others sustained injuries and are receiving medical care. The state government also announced an enhanced compensation of Rs 15 lakh for the victim’s family as immediate financial relief.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said a thorough investigation will be conducted into the incident, and action will be taken against anyone found responsible. Opposition leaders have criticised the government’s oversight of safety protocols on major infrastructure projects.

Investigations are ongoing, and authorities have indicated more arrests or administrative actions could follow as the probe into safety compliance, supervision records and construction oversight continues.
 

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