In a tragic incident, a 35-year-old woman here died after falling into an open pit while she was walking home, following which police registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) officials.
Jamila Anees Khan was travelling in an auto rickshaw along with her daughter and father-in-law last night. They left the vehicle when it developed a snag near a police canteen close to Kalwa bridge and started walking on the footpath near Thane jail compound.
Suddenly, Jamila fell into the pit and slipped about 15-20 feet down. The incident took place at around 10 PM, Thane police PRO Gajanan Kabdule said quoting an FIR filed in this regard.
The firemen and police, who were immediately informed about the incident, reached the spot and pulled out the woman. They took her to a hospital where doctors declared her brought dead, he said.
The woman's father-in-law later filed a complaint with police based on which an FIR was registered under sections 304 and 34 of IPC against unnamed TMC officials, contractor, firemen and a local corporator.
According to the FIR, the contractor and civic officials had not taken proper precaution as regards the safety of citizens on the footpath.
"The TMC and contractor had not taken any steps to display a sign on the spot where there was a trench over a nullah being constructed by the corporation, resulting in the accident," it mentioned.
The complainant also alleged the firemen did not respond to the rescue call immediately.
The Thane Nagar police are carrying out further probe, Kabdule said, adding no arrest has been made so far in the matter.
