Three people were killed and two were injured after the slab of a public toilet partially collapsed in Mankhurd on Friday. The Mankhurd police have booked the contractor responsible for the toilet’s maintenance. The incident was reported to the police control room at 5:30 a.m.
A police officer said, “A slab in the public toilet at Indira Nagar collapsed and five people were trapped under the debris. Officials from the Fire Brigade and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation rushed to the spot.”
The police said three of the five were declared dead before admission at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar. The two others were treated for their injuries. Officials said that the deceased — Harish Tikekar (40), Ganesh Soni (40) and Mohammed Ansari (35) — were the first three in the queue to use the toilet and the slab crashed on them.
The toilet was built on land owned by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority and the contract to build and maintain the toilet had been given to a local contractor. Local residents said the maintenance staff ignored several complaints about the deteriorating condition of the toilet.
By Friday afternoon, the police picked up the contractor for inquiries and arrested him by late evening.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Shahaji Umap (Zone VI) said, “We have arrested the contractor, Rajdev Bharti (52), and charged him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the Indian Penal Code. Action will be taken against anyone else who is found to be responsible.”
A separate team of police is making inquiries to find out the number of complaints made to the NGO, and to gather copies of any written complaints.
