Assam: Child dies after falling into open drain; construction company officials arrested

Guwahati, Sep 5 (IANS) In a tragic incident that has triggered widespread outrage, a three-year-old child died after falling into an open drain near an under-construction bridge in the Kalapahar area of Guwahati in Assam, a police official informed on Friday.

He said that police have also arrested three individuals linked to the project, including a director of the construction firm responsible for the site.

The arrested persons have been identified as Avinash Bhatia, Director of Bhartia Infra Projects Ltd (BIPL), Safety Engineer Kaushik Gogoi, and Deputy Project Manager Prasannajit Pathak.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) in Guwahati, Padmanabh Baruah, said the arrests followed an FIR lodged by the victim’s father, who held BIPL directly responsible for negligence.

The project is being executed under the supervision of the Public Works Department (PWD).

“The investigation began on the basis of the father’s complaint. He blamed the construction company for the death of his child. The site was under the watch of the PWD,” the DCP told reporters here.

According to officials, CCTV footage captured the chilling moment when the toddler fell into the open drain, which had no protective cover.

The footage soon went viral on social media, drawing anger and demands for strict action against those responsible.

Police also revealed that this was not the first instance of safety lapses at a BIPL site. Just a month earlier, a man died due to electrocution at another project site handled by the same company. An FIR was registered in that case as well.

“Even after a similar tragedy occurred recently, the company failed to learn any lessons. There was no sense of responsibility shown in ensuring public safety,” Baruah said.

He added that investigations into both incidents are underway. While three people have been arrested, more arrests could follow.

Several other employees of the company have already been detained and questioned.

The child’s death has sparked sharp criticism of both the company and government authorities for ignoring basic safety norms.

Locals have demanded accountability from the PWD for failing to monitor the site effectively.

--IANS

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