A day after a huge billboard on the side of the Salem – Kochi Highway at Karumathampatti near Coimbatore, collapsed killing three workers on the spot, the police, on Friday, June 2, 2023, said the billboard was installed without authorisation by the local civic body.
Coimbatore District (Rural) Superintendent of Police V. Badrinarayanan told The Hindu that the Karumathampatti Municipality had not given permission for the huge metal frame hoarding in a farm land facing the highway. The land belongs to R. Ramasamy (72) of Pudupalam Pirivu near Karumathampatti.
The accident happened when workers of Salem-based advertising agency, Moorthy Arts, were fixing a new flex banner on the hoarding on Thursday (June 1) evening. While K. Palanisamy (56) of Omalur Salem, who had taken the subcontract from the advertising agency, was held the same night, the police arrested the manager Arun Kumar on Friday.
“Arun Kumar was handling the day-to-day operations of the advertising agency. We are on the lookout for Balaji, the owner of the agency,” said Mr. Badrinarayanan.
According to the police, the accident took place around 4 p.m. on Thursday when the advertising agency was placing a new flex banner on the 80 feet hoarding. Palanisamy and five workers - Senthil Murugan (38), S. Kumar (52), S. Gunasekar (52), S. Setu (23) and Arun Kumar (26) - all hailing from Salem, climbed the metal hoarding to fix the new flex banner.
Following heavy wind, Palanisamy and Arun Kumar got down and the four others continued to work. The metal frame broke due to the wind and collapsed with the four workers.
Murugan, Kumar and Gunasekar died on the spot. Setu was rushed to the Government Hospital, Avinashi, from where he was later referred to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
Based on the complaint lodged by Arun Kumar, the Karumathampatti police registered a case against the advertising agency’s owner Balaji, its manager Arun Kumar, subcontractor Palanisamy and land owner Ramasamy under Sections 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC.
Mr. Badrinarayanan said the illegality of the hoarding has been brought to the attention of the District Collector and a list of hoardings which were erected in violation of rules will be taken.
“Joint teams of the Revenue, local bodies and the police will take action against the whole gamut of illegal hoardings across highways and other places,” he added.
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