Man dies after falling into uncovered manhole in Delhi
The body of the labourer was recovered from a manhole after an overnight delay in reporting the incident.
The body of the labourer was recovered from a manhole after an overnight delay in reporting the incident.
The body of the labourer was recovered from a manhole after an overnight delay in reporting the incident.
A labourer died after falling into an uncovered manhole in the Begumpur area of Rohini. The incident occurred days after a 25-year-old private bank employee lost his life in a separate case involving a pit allegedly dug by the Delhi Jal Board.
Police said on Tuesday that the victim’s body was retrieved from the sewer after the incident went unreported overnight. According to officials, the police control room received a call at 2.36 pm on Tuesday about a man who was missing and suspected to have fallen into a sewer on vacant Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land in Sector 32, Rohini.
"A team from the Begumpur police station immediately rushed to the spot. The caller, Amir Hussain, a resident of Bihar, told the police that his friend Birju Kumar Rai (32), a labourer, was missing since Monday," a senior police officer said.
During initial questioning, another labourer, Budhan Das alias Suraj (33), told the police that he and Rai had consumed alcohol on Monday night. He stated that at around 7.30 pm, while they were heading back to their nearby jhuggi, Rai lost his balance and fell into an open manhole.
Police said Das did not report the matter immediately as he was intoxicated. "He contacted Amir Hussain only on Tuesday afternoon after regaining his senses, following which the police control room was alerted," the officer said.
After reaching the location, the police informed the fire brigade, the DDA and other relevant authorities and initiated a rescue operation. With assistance from the fire brigade, the team later recovered the body from the manhole.
Officials sent the body for a post-mortem examination and began further legal procedures. The police said they are reviewing CCTV footage and continuing the probe. "We are checking CCTV footage. Further investigation is ongoing," the officer said.
Sunil Kumar, a friend of the deceased, said Rai had been returning home after drinking with friends when the incident occurred. He added that Rai was accompanied by another person and may have slipped accidentally into the sewer.
“We found one of his slippers inside the sewer. When we went closer to check and identify it, we realised that he must have fallen into the open manhole,” he said. Sunil further said that just a day before the incident, Rai had mentioned that he planned to take his unwell family members to a doctor.
“This is entirely the government’s fault. If the sewer had been properly covered, he would not have lost his life,” he alleged. The incident follows closely on the death of a 25-year-old bank employee who fell into a pit allegedly excavated by the Delhi Jal Board in Janakpuri, west Delhi.
Police have arrested two persons in connection with that case. Investigators said they are recording statements of witnesses and examining the responsibility of the agencies tasked with maintaining sewer infrastructure in the area.
(With PTI Inputs)