Father of crane crash victim: 'I will fight till my son gets justice'
MUMBAI, July 18 -- A day after 21-year-old Mohammed Khokar, a student, was killed when a massive crane crashed from an under-construction building in Mira Road, his grieving father stood outside the Kashigaon police station on Friday, hungry, exhausted and in tears, refusing to leave until the police registered an FIR against the builder he blames for his son's death.
Joined by relatives, friends and local residents, Aziz Khokar, who works as a stunt master in films, spent hours outside the police station, alleging that despite repeated pleas, the police refused to name the builder in an FIR. The family said Mohammed, an innocent passerby, lost his life because of negligence and those responsible must face criminal action.
With anger in his eyes and grief in his voice, Aziz vowed not to give up. "I will fight till my son gets justice and the real culprits are put behind bars," he said, who has not yet accepted the body of his son.
"My son was just passing by when the crane fell on him. He died on the spot. When we asked for his body, the police told me to file an FIR. But when I named the builder in my statement, they refused to register the FIR against him. I have been waiting here for hours," he said.
People accompanying the family accused the police of delaying action and appealed to senior officers, including the police commissioner, to intervene. They warned that if no FIR was registered, they would move the Bombay High Court seeking justice. Police, however, maintained that they have so far registered only an accidental death report and are investigating whether negligence led to the fatal accident.
Rahul Patil, senior police inspector of Kashigaon police station, said the crane appears to have been operational when the mishap occurred and investigators suspect the operator may have lost control, causing it to collapse. The operator, who sustained injuries, is being questioned. "The exact cause of the crane collapse is yet to be established, and an investigation into the incident is underway," Patil said. The incident unfolded around 8.15pm on Thursday at an under-construction building inside the JP North Complex in Mira Road, where a parking tower was being built.
The crane, estimated to be 100-120 feet tall, toppled from the structure, which had been constructed up to the 11th floor.
The crane crashed onto the road and parking area below, crushing parked vehicles and trapping passersby beneath the debris. Mohammed Khokar, a resident of JK Irish Housing Society in Ghodbunder, was parking his two-wheeler when the crane came crashing down. Locals rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Two others, including a woman and the crane operator, were injured, while nearly 12 two-wheelers and four four-wheelers were damaged.
Residents said the incident could have killed many as a daily evening prayer is held at a temple inside the society, but it did not take place on Thursday....
इस लेख के रीप्रिंट को खरीदने या इस प्रकाशन का पूरा फ़ीड प्राप्त करने के लिए, कृपया
हमे संपर्क करें.