Bhubaneswar: The Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Bhubaneswar, Saturday rejected the bail petition filed by Pratap Keshari Panda, managing director of Panda Infra Projects Private limited, in connection with the collapse of an iron scaffolding under the Bomikhal overbridge which left one labourer dead and another injured late Thursday evening.
Following the court ruling, he was sent to a 14-day judicial custody. The Laxmisagar police Friday evening sent Panda to the court after registering a case (CS No.114/18) under the sections 304 (punishment for culpable homicide), 337, 338, 34 of IPC.
While rejecting his bail plea, the court advised Panda to move the sessions court for his bail as the case under section 304 of IPC is beyond the court’s purview. The bail plea of Panda was heard by the court Saturday afternoon. Panda is expected to move the sessions court Monday, said reliable sources.
Notably, Panda was on bail in an earlier mishap when a slab of the under construction bridge at Bomikhal had caved in killing a businessman and injuring several others including the deceased’s five-year-old daughter September 10, 2017.
The mishap has created statewide uproar and charges of neglect on the part of Panda. The police arrested Panda against whom a non-bailable warrant was issued by a lower court. Later, he moved the High Court after the lower court rejected the bail plea. The High Court directed the lower court to grant him bail under certain conditions October 16, 2017.
Subsequently, the state government also blacklisted Panda Infra Projects Private limited.
Ironically, the contractor continued the bridge work Friday night despite the mishap. Some workers were seen engaged in the work without safety precaution and in the absence of any field level officials. Questions are being raised about the circumstances under which the workers have been asked to work in risky conditions. However, the construction work was stopped in the day time.
Meanwhile, Congress and BJP slammed the government for favouring a blacklisted contractor. BJD leader Damodar Rout was critical in his comments on the issue.
Works Minister Prafulla Mallik said the contractor was already blacklisted and arrested. A probe has been ordered to find out the fault, he added. A high-level technical team will investigate the issue in a day or two, sources said.
PCC president Niranjan Patnaik said, “It is unfortunate that the the government was favouring a blacklisted contractor, who had failed to do his work properly.”
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