Labourer falls to death from 1st floor of under-construction bldg Developer, contractor booked; victim’s wife says no safety measures on construction site at Sion Koliwada
A 38-year-old labourer died after falling from the first floor of an under-construction building in Sion’s Pratiksha Nagar on April 4. The Wadala TT police have booked the developer, contractor Shankar Navale and project manager Ushabai Dher of BJ Shirke Construction Technology Pvt Ltd for causing death due to negligence.
The victim, Jeevan Das, was a resident of Sion Koliwada. On the day of the incident, Jeevan’s wife Seeta, a house help, was returning home from work when she noticed a huge crowd near her husband’s construction site near Dr Mala Garden, a little distance from their home.
“I saw some people carrying someone to a taxi, but I didn’t pay much attention and kept walking towards my house and called my husband on the way home but he didn’t pick up the call,” said Seeta. She was informed of his accident by a neighbour as she was unlocking her house door.
Seeta immediately rushed back to the construction site to inquire about her husband and was told that Jeevan allegedly lost his balance during drill work and fell from the first floor.
He was taken to the Galaxy Multi-speciality Hospital in Antop Hill for emergency treatment where the doctors informed Seeta that Jeevan was under critical care. He was pronounced dead during the early hours of April 5. The manager of the site told Seeta that Jeevan was standing on the wall’s edge when he slipped and fell to the ground.
Seeta, in her statement to the police, alleged that her husband was not provided safety belts and helmets, and no safety nets were found on the site. Due to grievous injury to his skull, and chest, and loss of blood, Jeevan couldn’t be saved.
The accused have been booked by the police under sections 304A (causing death due to negligence) and 34 (common intention). Jeevan and his wife Seeta together have three daughters and a son, who are all minors.