Mumbai: A structural auditor of the BMC, who is being held responsible for the collapse of the pedestrian bridge at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, has been arrested for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Six people had died when a part of the bridge caved in on March 14 evening.
Desai was picked up from his Saki Naka flat on Monday evening, where he was hiding to avert arrest. According to the police, it was revealed during investigations that structural auditor Desai had full knowledge that his act of giving a misleading audit report would cause loss of life.
Yet, Desai submitted a false report, which is why the police have substituted the earlier section of the IPC pertaining to causing death due to negligence (Section 304A) with culpable homicide not amounting to murder (Section 304(2)).
“Desai, who has a Master of Engineering degree and is the owner of Prof DD Desai Associated Engineering Consultants and Analysts, had expert knowledge and was aware that his act could cause death in future. When his role was ascertained in the course of investigations, on Sunday, the BMC had sent a notice to his residential address, where he was not present,” said Abhishek Trimukhe, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1).
The police then learnt about Desai hiding in a Saki Naka flat and he was subsequently arrested. So far, the police have recorded statements of Sanjay Darade, the chief engineer of Mumbai bridges, injured victims, eyewitnesses and other officials of the bridges department.
The police are trying to collate information about the working of the bridges department to ascertain the responsibility of each person, DCP Trimukhe said. “Darade’s statement has been taken to understand the proper functioning of BMC. If needed, he will be called again,” the police said.
A preliminary report into the collapse submitted by the BMC had said that the structural audit of the foot overbridge at CSMT was not carried out correctly. It suggested that major lapses occurred during the exercise on August 13, 2018.
