3 company officials held after 5-year-old falls into open drain in Kalapahar

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Guwahati witnessed a heart-wrenching tragedy on Thursday when a five-year-old boy, lost his life after falling into an open drain near Vivekananda School in Kalapahar. The incident has triggered widespread outrage against the authorities and the construction firm involved. On Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Padmanabha Barua, confirmed the arrest of three officials of Bhartia Infra Projects Limited (BIPL)—Director Avinash Bhartia, Safety Engineer Kaushik Gogoi, and Deputy Project Manager Prasannajit Pathak. They were taken into custody following an FIR filed by the victim’s father, accusing the company of gross negligence.

“CCTV footage of the incident is already in the public domain. Disturbingly, a similar mishap at another BIPL project site claimed a life just a month ago, yet the company failed to show accountability,” Barua said. He further revealed that two separate FIRs have been lodged—one for Thursday’s tragedy and another for the earlier accident.

Police have not ruled out further arrests, while also investigating allegations that drain slabs were only installed when locals paid bribes.

The accident occurred around 4:30 pm when the deceased strayed from his home while his mother and grandmother were busy with household chores. After a frantic search, he was found in the drain and rushed to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, but doctors declared him dead. The child’s death has sparked anger and grief across Guwahati, with residents blaming both the contractor and government authorities for leaving long stretches of drains uncovered despite repeated appeals. Police have assured strict action against all responsible parties.

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