Biker’s death in Jalandhar: NHAI official, flyover firm’s GM booked

FLYOVER IS PART OF THE JALANDHARPANIPAT EXPRESSWAY THAT WAS TO BE COMPLETED IN 2013; IN MARCH 23 MISHAP, A TRUCK HAD CRUSHED MAN ON BIKE

JALANDHAR: With investigation showing that the March 23 death of a biker after being crushed under a truck at the PAP Chowk on national highway-1 was due to the non-completion of the flyover on the crossing and lack of proper signage, officials of the private company in-charge of the construction recorded their statements before the police on Wednesday. The flyover, part of the six-lane Jalandhar-panipat Expressway, was to be completed in 2013.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is the nodal authority and the project had been allotted to a private company, Soma Isolux. Those booked for negligence are NHAI (Ambala) project director Vijay Kumar Sharma; Soma Isolux general manager Soma Jyoti, and two deputy general managers with the company, ML Sharma and Harpal Singh. Jyoti, Sharma and Singh recorded their statements on Wednesday.

The contractors were booked after statements by the victim’s brother and the accused truck driver showed that the accident would not have occurred had there been a flyover.

Both of them also pointed out the fact that the crossing had no signboards and no indications to help commuters negotiate the crossing safely, even as it is one of the busiest crossings in the district.

“After recording the statements, NHAI project director and SOMA company officials were named as the accused in the FIR,” said Cantonment SHO Gagandeep Singh, who is also the investigating officer in the case. The FIR in the case has been registered under sections 279 (rash driving), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50) and 304-A (causing death due to negligence) on March 28 at the Cantonment police station.

The SHO added, “The statements of Soma officials have been recorded. Appropriate action will be taken.”

WRANGLING ON FUNDS HAS DELAYED PROJECT

The construction of the flyover at the PAP Chowk and the Rama Mandi Chowk restarted a few months ago, after a long gap of eight years, due to wrangling over funds.

However, the contractor, Soma, halted work in March, claiming unavailability of funds. The district administration had said that the NHAI did not release funds, leading to the stalling of work for years.

With the crossing becoming a virtual death trap, on March 9 this year, Jalandhar DC Varinder Kumar Sharma wrote to NHAI project director Vijay Kumar Sharma, asking for resumption of work. A senior NHAI official said eventually, after they assured of clearing pending payments, Soma resumed work on April 24. However, work stopped after two days when the payment did not materialise.

NHAI project director Sharma said, “I was not aware that Soma did not resume work at the PAP-RAMA Mandi Chowk. We released some payment last month.

Earlier this month, Soma officials had assured me that they will start work. I will raise this issue with them.”

When queried on the FIR, he added that Soma officials were dealing with the case.