NEW DELHI, Jan. 9 -- The Delhi Police has sought a list of Public Works Department officials responsible for supervising the tree pruning work at Naraina area, which resulted in the death of a 45-year-old tea-seller, officials said on Friday.
Investigators are examining whether the work was being overseen by a department official at the site or if it was left entirely to labourers. Police have issued notices to the Public Works Department (PWD) to join the probe and have registered a case for causing death by negligence and negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repair and construction of buildings, the officials said.
According to the police, the victim, Mukesh Kumar, was struck by a falling branch of a peepal tree while walking along the Ring Road on Thursday. While the PWD has claimed that the site was barricaded and the victim ignored warnings, police are verifying these claims through a field investigation.
A senior police officer said the probe is focused on whether adequate safety measures were in place at during the pruning work.
"We are examining whether proper barricading was done, whether warning signboards were installed for pedestrians and motorists and whether any responsible official was present at the site or the work was being carried out solely by labourers," the officer said.
"The PWD has been asked to provide a list of officials who were supervising the pruning. After receiving the list, the role of each official will be examined and appropriate legal action will be taken," the officer added.
After the post-mortem examination, Kumar's body was handed over to his acquaintances on Friday and taken to his native village in Bihar's Banka district for the last rites. Locals said Kumar operated a tea stall in the Naraina area for five years and was the sole breadwinner for his wife and two minor children.
Kumar had gone out on Thursday to purchase milk and supplies for his stall when the incident occurred, an acquaintance said. He sustained head injuries and was taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
In an earlier statement, the PWD described the incident as "deeply unfortunate". The department claimed that a preliminary report from field staff indicated the area was fully barricaded and pruning work was being conducted using a hydra machine with all necessary permissions. The PWD claimed that the pedestrian had entered a restricted zone despite repeated warnings.
Police officials said these claims are being verified as part of the ongoing investigation. A PWD spokesperson said a detailed inquiry is underway and strict action would be taken against the contractor or officials if any lapse is found.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.