Hyderabad: Police seems to be in two minds on some things regarding the probe into Saturday’s manhole death in Madhapur. While it is clear that the Water Board cannot escape the responsibility for the death of four people in the manhole in Ayyappa Society, police is confused as to whether or not to investigate the failures of Water Board officials.
ACP Ramana Kumar said, “It is too early to decide whether we should investigate Water Board officials. As of now, the contractor company is named in the FIR. According to officials, the firm constructing the manhole had been black-listed. At the same time, the Water Board has neither cancelled the contract not taken necessary precautionary measures to avoid future mishaps even after a pedestrian had died in a nearby manhole a while ago.
Official inertia is evident in these cases. “We are not concerned with the Water Board action of giving a contract to one or other firm. We will look into the negligence of the company and of the contractor,” said the ACP. This, even as a court here had recently taken a serious note of dereliction of duty and touting of flimsy excuses by officials after every mishap.
The police, who booked a case under Section 304 A (for causing death), has not arrested anyone so far. The Madhapur police is still fiddling with the probe into earlier manhole mishaps without fixing responsibility.
