Foot overbridge collapse: No arrests so far

No one accused in FIR, Delhi High Court orders compensation for victims

Preparations for the Delhi Commonwealth Games have been caught on the wrong foot several times in the recent past. Tuesday's foot overbridge collapse near the main Games venue Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was symbolic of both the shoddy work of the CWG administrators and the apathy of the authorities.


After effect: Workers at the site of Tuesdays bridge collapse near the
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue for the Commonwealth
Games 2010, on Wednesday. PIC/IMTIYAZ KHAN

Several politicians and bureaucrats chose to play down the incident, perhaps because the 27 people injured in the mishap were all labourers.

Cops took the statement of several of those who had suffered injuries in the incident. Yesterday Lodhi Colony police had lodged an FIR of negligence in this respect but no one has been accused in the FIR.

"We have taken the statement of a few labourers and will take action accordingly. We have not arrested anyone in this connection so far," said a senior police officer.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the city government to pay Rs three lakh to each labourer who has suffered critical injuries and Rs 1 lakh to those who have fractured limbs in the incident.

On Tuesday after the mishap the government had announced a compensation of Rs one lakh for each of those who suffered severe injuries and Rs 50,000 to the other injured persons.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan came down heavily on the labour department of the Delhi government for failing to monitor whether the workmen were provided adequate safety equipment at the site or not.

The court also asked Delhi police's Crime Branch DCP to investigate the matter. The deputy labour commissioner and assistant labour commissioner of Delhi government have also been asked to visit the site and file an affidavit before the next date of hearing. The court passed the directions while hearing a public interest litigation filed by People's Union for Democratic Rights.