Mumbai Metro Collapse: 5 Arrested, ₹5 Crore Fine Imposed on Contractor

Mumbai: A 46-year-old man was killed and three others were injured after a portion of a parapet of an under-construction Metro line collapsed and fell on vehicles passing underneath in Mumbai’s Mulund area on Saturday, officials said. Following the incident, five people have been arrested.

The collapse occurred on LBS Road in Mulund when a parapet segment of the under-construction elevated Metro 4 corridor fell on an autorickshaw and a car. Ramdhani Yadav (46), who was sitting on the back of the autorickshaw, was killed. The autorickshaw driver Rajkumar Yadav (45) sustained critical injuries and was admitted to the intensive care unit at a Mulund hospital. Another occupant in the autorickshaw, Mahendra Pratap Yadav (52), and the driver of the car, Deepa Ruhiya (40), also sustained injuries, though their condition is stable.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered an inquiry into the incident. Fadnavis announced that the state government will provide financial assistance of ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. “The accident in Mulund is very unfortunate. Our prayers are with the kin of the deceased and those injured. The government and MMRDA will take care of medical expenses of the injured,” he said.

A safety audit will be conducted immediately at all such construction sites as a preventive measure, Fadnavis added. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has also imposed a fine of ₹5 crore on the contractor Reliance Infrastructure-Astaldi (RAJV) and its sub-contractor Milan Road Buildtech LLP. A general consultant linked to the project – a consortium of DB Engineering & Consulting, Hill International Inc, and Louis Berger Consulting Private Limited (DB Hill LBG) – was fined ₹1 crore.

The MMRDA constituted a high-level inquiry committee to probe the cause behind the parapet segment's collapse. “The committee will examine construction methodology, quality control systems, supervision mechanisms, contractors’ compliance with that, and third-party oversight processes. A detailed report has been sought on priority. As an immediate precautionary measure, construction activity at the concerned stretch has been temporarily halted based on preliminary findings,” a senior MMRDA official said on anonymity.

Five people, including four Milan Road Buildtech executives – project director Harish Chauhan, project manager Kuldeep Sapkal, deputy project manager Saurab Singh, and supervisor Prashant Bhoir, and Hill International Inc project manager Avdhoot Inamdar, have been arrested, police said.

A Reliance Infrastructure spokesperson stated, “The specific construction activity at the concerned location was being undertaken by the sub-contractor, Milan Road Buildtech LLP, in accordance with established contractual arrangements. We are fully cooperating with MMRDA and the concerned authorities in their assessment of the incident and are providing all necessary support.”

Satyajeet Salve, executive engineer at MMRDA, has also been suspended. Local BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha claimed that standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not being followed at the site, which led to the mishap. Last month, Kotecha conducted a joint inspection of the two-kilometer stretch of LBS Road with MMRDA and municipal corporation officials.

“We identified serious negligence at more than 55 locations, documented them with GIS-tagged over 100 photographs, and formally requested action against the contractor,” the Mulund MLA said, adding that he wrote to the MMRDA commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee recommending the blacklisting and suspension of the contractor. MMRDA officials did not respond to Kotecha’s claims.