Bomikhal ROB collapse: Panda Infra office sealed, engineer arrested

Bhubaneswar: After the arrest of Works Department deputy executive engineer Bansidhar Praharaj in connection with Bomikhal ROB collapse incident, Commissionerate Police on Monday sealed the office of Panda Infra, the company assigned the construction work.

One span of the under-construction ROB had caved in the previous afternoon killing one person and injuring 11.

Police Commissioner Y B Khurania said a case has been registered against Praharaj and assistant engineer Kishore Rout and three members of the Board of Directors of Panda Infra, Sujata Panda, Pratap Panda and Santosh Panda, under Sections 304, 337, 338 and 34 of IPC at Laxmisagar police station.

Rout is on the run and efforts are on to nab him, the Police Commissioner said. He along with Praharaj and Executive Engineer Dukhabandhu Behera has been placed under suspension.

A case of unnatural death has also been registered at Capital police station with connection with Satyabrata Patnaik, who was crushed under the falling slab, he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a statement in the state assembly said a high-level committee, comprising of Chief Engineer, Designs and Chief Engineer, Roads, will conduct an inquiry into the incident and submit its report within a week.

“My government will ensure that stringent and exemplary action is taken against all persons responsible for this tragic incident,” he added.