Man dies after iron rod falls on head at Mumbai construction site, supervisor booked

MUMBAI: The Vakola police have registered a case against the supervisor of a construction firm after a labourer died from injuries sustained when an iron rod fell on his head.

The complainant, a constable attached to Vakola police station, said that on June 3, while on duty, he received an MLC (Medico-Legal Case) intimation at around 4pm from Benz Multispecialty Hospital, Santacruz (West). The message stated that a man had suffered a head injury after an iron plate fell on him while he was working at a construction site at Flora Building on CST Road in Santacruz (East).

The constable said he went straight to Benz Hospital. On making enquiries, he found that the injured man had been identified as Arif Azad Shaikh (31).

Since Shaikh was not in a condition to speak, the treating doctor issued a medical endorsement. Police made attempts to trace his relatives or acquaintances, but no one could be located. Later, Benz Multispecialty Hospital informed the police that Shaikh had died on June 7.

Following this, Vakola police registered an accidental death. Doctors recorded the cause of death as: "Death due to shock consequent to craniocerebral injury and its complications upon blunt force impact to the head." It was also noted as "Post-decompression Craniotomy (Unnatural)."

Police officers said that after visiting the site and conducting enquiries, they learnt that the construction work had been awarded by 'Ken Construction' to 'Nidhan Infoproject Pvt. Ltd.', and that Nisar Sobrat Ali Shaikh was managing the site as supervisor. They also indicated that the incident seemed to have occurred because adequate precautions and safety measures were not in place at the location.

"We have booked the supervisor under swction 106 of BNS for death due to negligence," said an officer from Vakola police station. Police are now working to trace Shaikh’s family.