Hours after a 25-year-old motorcyclist died after falling into a sewer pit in west Delhi’s Janakpuri, the Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR for culpable homicide against a contractor and officials of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), while the Delhi government suspended three engineers and ordered a comprehensive safety audit of civic projects across the capital.

The victim, Kamal Dhyani, an assistant manager at the call centre of a private bank in Rohini, was returning home on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday when he allegedly fell into a 15-foot-deep pit dug for a sewer pipeline rehabilitation project.

His body, with the helmet still on, was found inside the pit alongside his mud-smeared motorcycle after a woman alerted the police control room around 8 am.

A senior police officer said a case under Section 105 (culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered at Janakpuri Police Station against the contractor and concerned DJB officials.

“Investigation is being carried out on priority and strict legal action will be taken against the guilty as per law,” the officer said.

Water Minister Parvesh Verma, who inspected the site later in the day, announced the suspension of three DJB engineers — an executive engineer, an assistant engineer and a junior engineer — holding them responsible for monitoring lapses.

He also ordered a comprehensive safety audit of all ongoing sewer, road and flood-control projects in Delhi and announced ex gratia compensation for the victim’s family.

“While certain portions of the road were barricaded, preliminary observations suggest that safety arrangements around the excavation were not fully in line with prescribed norms.

Movement of two-wheelers was continuing in the vicinity, which raised serious safety concerns,” Verma said.

According to the minister, the excavation pit measured approximately six metres in length, four metres in width and around 4.25 metres in depth.

Though work at the site had been underway for nearly three months, the pit was dug on Thursday, he said.

Kamal’s family alleged police inaction, claiming they searched for him throughout the night and visited multiple police stations but were told that a complaint could only be registered in the morning.

His twin brother Karan said the family was informed about Kamal’s death only after he called his phone again early Friday morning and the call was answered by police.

The police, however, refuted the allegations, saying search efforts were undertaken after the missing complaint was received.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Darade Sharad Bhaskar said Kamal’s last known mobile phone location was traced near Possangipur Park and search operations were conducted during the night.

Eyewitnesses and local residents alleged that the trench lacked adequate barricading, safety nets and lighting, making the stretch dangerous after dark.

The DJB, however, claimed the site had been secured with barricades and green mesh and said a two-member inquiry committee has been constituted to examine the incident and submit a report.

The incident has drawn political reactions, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi calling the death a “murder” and alleging an “epidemic of greed and negligence”, as the government ordered a probe into the matter.