DEHRADUN: In a significant ruling highlighting accountability in public works, a local court in Roorkee has convicted five individuals in connection with the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in 2012, which resulted in the deaths of three construction workers.
Judicial Magistrate Shivani Nahar sentenced the five accused to two years of rigorous imprisonment each, along with a fine of Rs 10,000.
The incident occurred on the morning of February 4, 2012, when the under-construction footbridge over the Ganga Canal near the Roorkee Municipal Corporation suddenly collapsed, plunging into the water and killing three labourers working on the structure.
The case began following a complaint by one of the surviving workers, Haider Ali. He stated that he and four colleagues, Shamim, Jishan, Murali, and Dheer Singh, were working on the bridge when it collapsed. One worker, Qurban, was on leave that day. Jishan (resident of Bedpur, Bhagwanpur), Dheer Singh (resident of Shankarapuri, Roorkee), and Shamim (resident of Najibabad, Bijnor, UP) drowned in the accident.
Haider Ali alleged that the collapse was caused by negligence and the use of substandard materials during construction.
Following an investigation, the police filed a chargesheet against five individuals: contractor Mazhar Ali, Upper Assistant Engineer Chhabil Das of the Public Works Department (PWD) Roorkee, Haider, Anil Kumar, and Deepak (both residents of the PWD Colony, Civil Lines, Roorkee).
The trial, which spanned thirteen years, concluded after the prosecution examined 13 witnesses. In her judgment, Judicial Magistrate Shivani Nahar handed down the sentences and issued a stern observation regarding systemic responsibility.
The court noted that accountability for any construction failure lies with the central or state government and the agency executing the project. “If an accident occurs due to their negligence, the entire responsibility rests with the Central or State Government and that agency,” the court stated.
Assistant Prosecution Officer Alisha Khan confirmed the details of the conviction, marking long-awaited closure for the victims’ families in this decade-old tragedy.