Eleven serving or former officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation were among 24 persons chargesheeted for negligence by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in the 2009 Zamrudpur Metro pillar collapse incident along the Central Secretariat-Badarpur line which claimed the lives of six workers. Those indicted include the then Chief Engineer (Design) Rajan Kataria and Subodh Kumar Gupta; the then site Chief Project Officer and current Chief Engineer (Tenders), Director (Design) of Arch Consultancy Rajiv Ahuja, and Pradeep Gupta of Gammon India.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Sharma has taken cognisance of the charge sheet and summoned the accused for July 23.
The charge sheet said: “there is sufficient evidence or record on file that the work was planned, carried out and continued in a negligent manner and endangering the human life and thus committed offence under Sections 337 [causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others], 338 [causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others], 304 A [causing death by negligence] and 34 [acts done by in furtherance of common intention] of the Indian Penal Code”.
The charge sheet also relied on a report by an Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee committee. “During the investigation conducted so far, sufficient evidence has come on file regarding deficiency in preparation of structural design by Arch Consultancy, especially regarding provision of less steel in overlapping, as indicated by committee of IIT Roorkee. Beside this workmanship carried out by Gammon India Ltd, cast of pier No. 67 has also been found sub-standard in shape of less concrete strength....”, it read.
The Crime Branch said the crack in the pillar was noticed early but load test was not conducted by the officials of the three companies who worked in a negligent manner.
“All these officials were collectively responsible for quality control of the concrete mixture but none of them performed their responsibility as assigned to them. The expert committee of IIT Roorkee also pointed out the less quantity of cement in the mixture. Gammon India Ltd. was responsible for mentioning the proportionate ratio. This ratio was to be mentioned as approval of DMRC,” the charge sheet said.
“Though the contract which was given to Gammon India, the DMRC can not escape from its liability because the design, which was used by Gammon, was also subject to the approval from DMRC, as per their contract”.
