The HC had initiated the suo moto PIL on 13 January, following the death of Tejaswini and her son when the pillar pier collapsed on them.
Published Jan 31, 2023 | 11:20 PM ⚊ Updated May 10, 2023 | 9:28 AM
Karnataka HC
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, 31 January, ordered the issuing of notices to Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and others in a public interest litigation (PIL) taken up on its own over the death of two persons due to the collapse of an under-construction metro pillar in Bengaluru.
The BMRCL was given two weeks’ time to respond to the court.
The state government, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the BMRCL chief engineer, and Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited are the other respondents in the case.
The high court initiated the suo motu PIL on 13 January following the death of software engineer Tejaswini and her two-year-old son when a pillar pier collapsed on the two-wheeler they were travelling on.
Tejaswini (28), her husband, and their twin son and daughter were travelling on a motorcycle between Kalyan Nagar and HRBR Layout when the incident occurred on 10 January.
They were rushed to the hospital, where mother and son succumbed to their injuries.
A division bench, comprising Justices Alok Aradhe and S Vishwajith Shetty, heard the petition that the court had itself directed the registrar general to initiate.
While initiating the PIL earlier this month, the high court said it was taking cognisance of news reports about the incident.
“These news reports prompted us to take cognisance of the incident referred to wherein there is an unfortunate death of a lady and toddler son at the condition of roads. The issue raises concern and question for the public at large,” the bench said.
Meanwhile, the BMRCL suspended three engineers and issued notices to its contractor Nagarjuna Construction Company. The police booked nine persons, including officials of the BMRCL, in the case.
(With PTI inputs)
