CST Foot Overbridge Collapse: Mumbai Police Arrests Auditor

Mumbai’s Esplanade Court on Tuesday, 19 March, sent Neeraj Desai, the auditor who had conducted an audit of the CST foot overbridge, to police custody till 25 March. He was arrested by the Mumbai police on Monday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had on Friday recommended "action against the structural auditor for his casual approach while performing the structural audit" of the bridge that collapsed on Thursday evening, killing at least six persons and injuring 30 others.

Leader of Opposition in BMC, Ravi Raja had written a letter to CM Devendra Fadnavis, demanding a judicial probe by a retired High Court judge in connection with the bridge collapse, ANI reported.

Mumbai’s Esplanade Court has sent the auditor Neeraj Desai to police custody till 25 March.

Neeraj Desai, the auditor who had conducted an audit of the CST foot overbridge was arrested by the Mumbai police on Monday, 18 March.

Leader of Opposition in BMC, Ravi Raja wrote a letter to CM Devendra Fadnavis, demanding a judicial probe by a retired High Court judge in connection with the bridge collapse, ANI reported.

Raja has alleged in his letter that BMC is trying to save the actual culprits behind the incident, so a judicial probe should be done.

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has issued a show cause notice to DD Desai’s Associated Engineering Consultants and Analysts Pvt Ltd on the inventory of bridges in Greater Mumbai. It has sought a reply within 15 days asking why they shouldn't be blacklisted and loss shouldn't be recovered from them.

In the aftermath of the bridge collapse near CST station on Thursday, the Dadar footover bridge is to be temporarily closed for strengthening work with effect from Sunday, 17 March, with the staircase to stay closed for 13 days and the ramp for 90 days.

Civic body authorities Friday brought down the remaining part of the foot overbridge (FOB), a major portion of which had collapsed Thursday evening, killing six persons and injuring over 30 others.

Civic chief Ajoy Mehta, after a meeting with officials concerned of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), had decided to dismantle the entire bridge located near the busy Mumbai CSMT railway station.

"With the help of gas cutters and huge cranes, the entire frame of iron and steel was brought down by evening and was further being cut into pieces to transport them to the godown," local ward officer Kiran Dighawkar said.

Civic officials, however, did not dismantle the ramp of the bridge on the Times of India building side, indicating a new bridge may be built for the convenience of passengers.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday demanded a white paper on the condition of all the bridges in the megapolis.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Pawar also expressed concerns over the "frequent mishaps" taking place in the city.

The remaining portions, including the metallic frame, of the footover bridge that collapsed on Thursday were removed on Friday evening.

The Mumbai civic chief has ordered a departmental probe against two retired chief engineers, following the CST foot overbridge collapse, reported PTI.

The BMC has also reportedly suspended two officials in-charge of the audit and repair work of the bridge.

The two officials are Executive Engineer AR Patil who supervised the structural audit work in 2017-18 and Assistant Engineer SF Kakulte who supervised the repair work in 2013-14.

A full-fledged departmental inquiry into two retired chief engineers has also been directed by the municipal body, along with orders for show-cause notice to contractor RPS Infrastructure for blacklisting, reported CNBC-TV18.

The BMC on Friday recommended "action against the structural auditor for his casual approach while performing the structural audit" of the bridge that collapsed on Thursday evening, killing at least six persons and injuring 30 others.

"Prima-facie, it is reasonably concluded that the structural audit is not carried out correctly and major lapses observed in the conducting the structural audit of the bridge," a BMC report said.

BMC has decided to dismantle the foot overbridge that collapsed on Thursday evening killing six persons.

In a meeting chaired by BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, it was also decided that the civic body's Chief Engineer (Vigilance) would conduct an inquiry into the causes that led to the deck of the FOB collapsing.

Ward Officer Kiran Dighawkar said work on dismantling the FOB had begun and cranes and gas-cutters had been assembled for the work.

"We aim to open DN Road for vehicular traffic by 7 pm on Friday," he said.

Union Minister Suresh Prabhu took to Twitter to wish a speedy recovery to the people who have been injured in the CST bridge collapse.

BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta orders Vigilance Department to submit a preliminary report within 24 hours, identifying the Municipal staff responsible for the incident.

The morning after the deck of a foot overbridge outside CSMT station collapsed, killing six people and leaving at least 31 injured, the Brihnamumbai Municipal Corporation chief will chair a meeting to decide on the future course of action for the structure.

A BMC spokesperson told PTI that civic commissioner Ajoy Mehta will meet Road and Bridge department officials Friday and then take a call on dismantling the entire FOB.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday met the victims of the bridge collapse at GT hospital and said that the faulty audit that declared the bridge safe for use will be probed. He also said that the municipal commissioner has been ordered to fix the primary responsibility of the mishap by this evening.

“We have ordered probe. I have told the municipal commissioner that the primary responsibility of the mishap needs to be fixed by today evening and the investigation regarding that should be started. The detailed enquiry will be done for sure. It is shocking that such mishaps take place despite structural audits. A high level enquiry will be done for sure, but the primary responsibility regarding the same needs to be fixed,” he said.

“We will see if the audit was properly done or not. If they suggested that the bridge is fit to be used and only suggested minor changes, it is a big thing. The audits that have already happened will also be revisited,” he added.

The foot overbridge that collapsed in Mumbai near the CST local train station was audited and declared safe just six months ago, The Indian Express reported.

Mumbai civic authorities have demolished the remaining portion of the bridge that collapsed on Thursday night near the CST railway station.

Local BJP MLA Raj Purohit also visited the spot and demanded immediate action against the engineer who had declared the bridge as 'safe'. "He should be arrested right now. He is responsible for the entire disaster." Local Shiv Sena corporator Sujata Sanap said she had alerted officials about the structure, but they did not act in time.

"I have been pursuing the issue of this unsafe bridge for long and also wrote so many letters to officials but they were ignored." The collapse will be jointly probed by BMC and Central Railways, said Vinod Tawde, District Guardian Minister of Mumbai.

"I have discussed the issue with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as well as with CR General Manager D K Sharma, BMC chief Ajoy Mehta and joint police commissioner (L&W) Deven Bharti. The railways and the BMC will jointly inquire the accident," Tawde told reporters.

Congress leader Milind Deora said murder charge should be slapped on auditors who inspected the bridge and the BMC officers who appointed them. "Mumbaikars feel very unsafe in the city, considering the frequent incidents of bridge collapses," the former MP said.

"I am not politicising the issue, but hollow promises are not going to serve the people anyway. This is failure of the government and the system," he added.

The traffic police have stopped movement of vehicles on a key road near the foot overbridge (FOB) which partially collapsed Thursday evening.

The bridge connected the area near the Times of India building with the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, (CSMT) station.

In view of the collapse of the Times of India FOB, traffic is being closed on both sides between CST junction and JJ flyover till further orders, said a police official tonight.

Commuters coming from JJ flyover may take a right turn towards Crawford Market-metro junction-CST and or take a left turn at Nesbit junction and move further to P D Mellow Road- Avatar Singh Bedi chowk to CST-lion Gate, regal junction and further, he said.

Disaster Management Unit (DMU) of BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) said the death toll has risen to six.

Mumbai Police said, FIR being registered against concerned officials of Central Railway and BMC under section 304A (Causing death by negligence) of IPC at the Azaad Maidan Police Station.

Mumbai Police to register a case in the incident where a portion of a foot over bridge near CSMT railway station collapsed earlier on Thursday, 14 March, as rpeorted by ANI.

The NDRF team was withdrawn from the accident spot around 10:34 pm after the completion of the rescue operation, reported ANI.

After meeting the injured at the GT Hospital, BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan said, "There is sufficient number of doctors here, the experts are here. There is sufficient blood available in the blood bank. Accountability will come next, our priority is to cater to the injured first."

GT Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Mukund Tayade said the two bodies that they received were of nurses who worked at the same hospital.

Shiv Sena MP for Mumbai South Arvind Sawand and Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar reached the St George Hospital to inquire about the health the people who were injured in the bridge collapse incident.

Congress leader and former MP from Mumbai South contituency Milind Deora called for an FIR to be registered under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the IPC against BMC officers “responsible for negligence” in the aftermath of the building collapse incident.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those who died in the bridge collapse incident, and a compensation of Rs 50,000 for the injured. The state government will provide for their treatment, he added.

A friend of two women who died in the Mumbai foot overbridge collapse incident told The Quint that they were nurses at the GT Hospital, and were coming for duty when the incident took place. "They had been working here for 20 years," she said.

The investigation into the bridge collapse incident would be undertaken jointly by the BMC and the Railways.

Maharashtra Minister and BJP leader Vinod Tawde said the bridge was not in a bad condition and only required minor repairs, as he questioned why it was not closed until the repair-work was completed.

He further said that the state will provide for the treatment of the injured.

Here are the BMC disaster management emergency helpline numbers:

• 1916
• 9833806409
• 022-22621855
• 022-22621955

The Ministry of Railways, in a statement, said that the bridge in question was of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant reportedly said the bridge comes under the Railways.

"It was maintained by the BMC. Regardless of whom the bridge belongs to, the BMC conducted an audit. I am not the authority," he added.

The death toll in Mumbai bridge collapse incident has risen to three people, and is expected to rise further. The deceased man has been identified as 32-year-old Zahid Shiraj Khan.

At least two people have died and 34 have been injured in the Mumbai bridge collapse incident.

The deceased have been identified as 35-year-old Apoorva Prabhu and 40-year-old Ranjana Tambe.

Eyewitnesses cited by NDTV said that the overbridge was being used despite repair-work being undertaken on it on Thursday morning.

Some people are feared dead in the bridge collapse incident, according to Mumbai disaster cell sources cited by PTI.

At least 23 people have been injured in the bridge collapse incident and have been shifted to nearby hospitals, reported ANI.

A foot overbridge near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station in Mumbai collapsed on Thursday, 14 March. Multiple people have been reported injured and have been shifted to nerbyhospitals, reported ANI.