Safety lapse at BMC flyover site, Piling rig collapses on Mumbai cop riding home from duty, kills him in Mankhurd | Mumbai News

According to police, a piling rig a heavy-duty machine used to drill deep foundations had been stationed at the site for ongoing flyover work. Investigators said the machine had been placed on uneven ground and was not secured properly. It toppled sideways, and a portion of it fell onto Chavan.

He was rushed to MGM Hospital in Vashi by bystanders but was declared dead on arrival.

Mankhurd police senior inspector Madhu Ghorpade said, “The crane operator parked the crane on uneven ground and left to eat food. Since the crane was not parked properly it fell sideways on the cop who was going on a bike, killing him.”

Based on a complaint by Chavan’s brother, an assistant sub-inspector posted at Parksite police station, an FIR has been registered against the crane operator, contractor and subcontractor responsible for the project. Those named include officials and workers associated with SFAR Infratech and Lifting and Lashing Solution India, including engineers, site supervisors, the piling machine operator and helpers.

The accused have been identified as SFAR Infratech company’s owner Rehan Aslam Malik, engineer Ranjan Shukla, site supervisor Shahir Shaikh; Lifting and Lashing solution India’s owner Mohammad Ali Choudhary, engineer/supervisor Salman Khan, piling machine operator Sudipta Pramanik, helper Raju Biswas and others.

Police said preliminary findings indicate that mandatory safety precautions required during construction activity on a public road were not followed.

BMC orders probe, cites lapse during unloading
The Mankhurd flyover extension is part of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s effort to ease congestion on the busy Sion–Panvel Highway, a key arterial route connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.

The project involves adding two additional arms to the existing Mankhurd flyover, particularly near Maharashtra Nagar and the Mankhurd T-junction — a major bottleneck where traffic from Chembur, Govandi and Navi Mumbai converges. The work is linked to the broader Ghatkopar–Mankhurd Link Road (GMLR) connectivity improvements.

Once completed, the extension is expected to streamline traffic movement towards Vashi and reduce delays caused by signal intersections and merging traffic at grade level. The project includes construction of elevated ramps, piling work for deep foundations, and associated road widening.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is executing the project, has initiated an inquiry and said action will be taken against the contractor.

Civic officials clarified that the equipment involved was part of a piling rig being transported on a truck for use in repair work on the Ghatkopar-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) flyover at Maharashtra Nagar in Mankhurd.

“The incident took place while the rig machine was being unloaded from the truck and prima facie finding shows while the unloading was being carried out the precautionary measures were not in place. As a result, the portion of the machine slipped and collapsed on the victim,” an official said.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Infrastructure) Girish Nikam said, “We will be preparing a detailed report of the incident by seeking the input of the Mumbai Police, as well as the contractor’s statement and based on this, action will be taken against the contractor.”

Officials added that the machine was being moved between work points when the accident occurred, pointing to lapses in handling and on-site supervision.

Recurring safety concerns at infrastructure sites
The incident adds to a series of accidents linked to infrastructure works in Mumbai. On February 14, a slab from a metro viaduct in Mulund collapsed onto a rickshaw and a car, killing one person and injuring three others.

In that case, authorities had announced penalties against contractors and consultants and suspended engineers, while an inquiry blamed faulty handling of structural components. A police investigation and proceedings in the Bombay High Court are still underway.

More recently, another incident was reported near the same viaduct where a wooden plank allegedly fell and damaged a vehicle, though this was denied by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Earlier this year, at least two more incidents at metro construction sites resulted in one death and injuries. Chavan is survived by his wife and two children.