Days after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde instructed the Raigad police to pursue criminal charges against the contractors responsible for poor highway construction, the police filed a case on Thursday. The contractor has been charged with endangering public safety due to substandard work on the Mumbai-Goa highway.
This action followed the Chief Minister’s review of the highway's progress ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. The contractor in question, responsible for the road widening between Indapur and Wadpale in Mangaon, spanning 26.7 kilometers, is now facing charges of culpable homicide.
The complaint was filed by the National Highway Authority, and the charges include violations under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 125(A)(B), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita against Director Hukimichand Jain, General Manager Avdesh Kumar Singh, and Project Engineer Sujit Sadanand Kawale. SP Somnath Gharge confirmed that Kawale has been arrested.
Since 2020, over 170 motor accidents on this stretch have resulted in 97 fatalities and 208 injuries, escalating concerns about the road's safety and quality, which have been a significant issue among various political groups.