An FIR has been lodged against a private contractor engaged in NH-33 revamp based on the statement of an Adityapur resident who lost an arm in a bus accident on the cratered artery on Sunday evening.
Hyderabad-headquartered Madhucon Projects Private Limited, which is widening a 153.5km stretch of the highway from the outskirts of capital Ranchi to Mohulia, near Jamshedpur, has been booked under Sections 283 (negligence on road), 337 (simple injury), 338 (grievous injury) and 427 (damage to property) of the IPC based on Laxman Prasad Singh's complaint.
While the offences mentioned in the FIR filed at Chowka police station of Seraikela-Kharsawan are primarily bailable, conviction under Section 338 can invite a jail term between three and seven years.
According to a relative of the victim, 50-year-old Singh - a guard with a private security agency in Jamshedpur - was travelling to Ara in Bihar when the bus lost control on the under-construction and undulated highway, and overturned near Urmal, 42km from the steel city.
"He (Singh) was among 10 passengers who sustained injuries. Since he was sitting on the left side, his arm stretched out of the window, the weight of the bus caused irreparable bone and tissue damage. At Tata Main Hospital, doctors had to amputate the arm to save his life. He gave a statement to police against Madhucon after surgery," said a close relative.
Seraikela-Kharsawan SP Indrajeet Mahatha conceded that all was not well with the highway project.
"One commuter has had the courage to accuse the contractor of negligence. Police are not here just to rescue highway accident victims or send bodies for post-mortem. We will conduct an inquiry and if necessary, prosecute Madhucon," the SP said.
Chowka OC Anjani Kumar Singh said they had inspected the accident site and done a recce of NH-33 between Pardih Kalimandir, near Jamshedpur, till Tamar in Ranchi district.
"The road has become dangerous over the past two months. The contractor (Madhucon) has neither fixed caution signboards nor barricaded under-construction areas, making the highway a mishap magnet."
Chowka police plan to take statements from other victims of Sunday's accident to build their case against Madhucon. "Negligent attitude of contractors are claiming lives on the Chowka-Chandil-Tamar stretch of NH-33," the OC said.
Rough statistics suggest at least 14 people have died and over 20 seriously injured in half a dozen accidents between Mohulia and Tamar in the past month.
Senior technical manager (NHAI) Manoj Kumar Pandey admitted that certain stretches of the highway were in "extremely poor condition" owing to ongoing construction work and monsoon rain. "We had asked the contractor to put up warning signs and barricade peril pockets. Drivers too should be more cautious," he said.
Ramachandra, project manager of Madhucon, told The Telegraph that mishaps happen not because of bad roads, but bad driving. "Potholes, wherever they are, are being plugged. We can't be blamed unnecessarily for accident/s," he said.
Speaking from Patna over phone, NHAI regional officer Chandan Vatsa echoed Madhucon. "Accidents are unfortunate incidents. Contractors/agencies can't be directly blamed for the same," he said.
With inputs from Ranchi
