News Analysis India

Tag: Muradnagar

  • UP roof collapse: Contractor admits paying Rs 16 lakh bribe, use of sub-standard material

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The roof of death that collapsed to claim 25 innocent lives in Muradnagar cremation ground on last Sunday was constructed upon the foundation of corruption, it has emerged. 

    Contractor Ajay Tyagi, the main accused in the roof collapse case, spilled the beans about the corrupt deeds of officials in the Muradnagar Municipal Board during police interrogation. Tyagi, arrested on Monday night, was sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand on Tuesday.

    On Wednesday, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had issued orders to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

    Besides Tyagi, one of his accomplices Sanjay Garg, roped in for the construction and beautification of the cremation ground, was also arrested on Tuesday and sent to jail. So far, five persons have been arrested.

    According to highly-placed police sources, Tyagi claimed that he got the contract for the beautification of cremation ground and construction of the shed there by allegedly paying a bribe of Rs 16 lakh to the Municipal Board officials. The sources claimed that he also conceded that there was an alleged convention of paying around 28-30 per cent commission to get the contract.

    The roof had collapsed at around 11:30am at the Ukhlarsi cremation ground, when the last rites of fruit seller Jai Ram, 65, who had died on Saturday night, were being conducted.

    ALSO READ | Roof collapse in UP cremation ground: Shocked families prepare for second funeral in two days

    Around 50-60 people were present at the funeral. Scores got trapped under the debris and could be rescued only after the local police and administration arrived at the spot. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also deployed to carry out relief and rescue work at the collapse site.

    The Ghaziabad cops had registered a First Information Report (FIR) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any act rashly or negligently as to endanger human lives), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (causing damages) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of IPC against a number of persons including Muradnagar Municipal Board’s Executive Officer Niharika Singh, JE, supervisor, contractor and others.

    Muradnagar Municipal Board’s Executive Officer Niharika Singh Chauhan, JE Chandrapal Singh and supervisor Ashish had been arrested in connection with the mishap on Monday. Tyagi was arrested late Monday night and Sanjay Garg was arrested on Tuesday.

    Police sources said Tyagi told the interrogators that he used to run a construction firm — M/S Ajay Tyagi Contractors. He admitted that he got the Rs 55 lakh contract for the beautification of Muradnagar cremation ground and construction of the shed in February 2020 through an online tender process. He allegedly received Rs 26 lakh as the first instalment of the contract amount in March 2020 and the second instalment of Rs 16 lakh in July 2020.

    The contractor disclosed to cops that in lieu of getting the contract, he was asked by JE Chandrapal Singh to pay Rs 16 lakh in the office of EO Niharika Singh and he did so, said the sources. Tyagi allegedly claimed that he was supposed to give an advance commission of at least 28-30 per cent to get the contract and get the project money released. He allegedly disclosed that he was given two months’ time to complete the project.

    As the time to complete the project was too short, the main accused claimed he had roped in another firm — AS Constructions — owned by his acquaintance Sanjay Garg to meet the deadline. Tyagi allegedly admitted that he had used sub-standard material in the construction of the shed to ensure his margins were not hit.

    After Tyagi’s disclosures, many senior officers of the Muradanagar local body and Ghaziabad administration are now on the radar.

    The state government has meanwhile directed the Ghaziabad district administration to provide fee exemption to the children of those families who lost their earning members in the mishap. The Ghaziabad DM and local MLA handed over the keys of a house to the family of one Robin who lost his life in the mishap.

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had issued a notice earlier to the UP government seeking its explanation in four weeks’ time.

  • UP roof collapse: CM issues orders invoking NSA against accused, relief hiked to Rs 10 lakh

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: While contractor Ajay Tyagi, the main accused in the roof collapse at a crematorium in UP’s Muradnagar town, was arrested past Monday midnight, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday, issued directives to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against all the accused responsible for the mishap. With Tyagi’s arrest, the number of persons arrested so far in connection with the incident has gone to four.

    Earlier, on Monday, three persons including the Executive Officer of Muradnagar Municipal Board Niharika Singh Chauhan, Junior Engineer Chandrapal Singh and supervisor Ashish were taken into custody in connection with the mishap.

    In another step, the CM increased the ex-gratia amount to be given to the next of kin of the deceased to Rs 10 lakh and a dwelling to those who were homeless and had lost family members in the accident. The CM also ordered the authorities concerned at the district administration of Ghaziabad and Municipal Board of Muradnagar to blacklist the contractor who had made the roof of the shed which collapsed on Sunday killing 25 people and leaving around 50 injured.

    Earlier, an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the victim’s families was announced on Sunday. Moreover, taking a step further, a notice was issued to the Ghaziabad DM and Divisional Commissioner to explain the lapses despite the clear-cut orders making the physical verification of new construction worth above Rs 50 lakh mandatory for authorities. The orders in this connection were issued by the state government in September.

    “Both the officials have been asked to explain how the lapses occurred despite firm orders for physical verification of new constructions. More heads are likely to roll in connection with the Muradnagar mishap,” said a highly placed source.

    Meanwhile, contractor Ajay Tyagi, who had constructed the shed at the cremation ground at a cost of Rs 55-60 lakh just two months back, was arrested by the Ghaziabad police late in the night following the announcement of a reward of Rs 25000 for his arrest on Monday evening.

    The shed at the cremation ground was thrown open for the public just a fortnight back. On Monday, a junior engineer was among three people arrested by the police for the accident, which has resulted in the loss of 25 lives. Police have also set up a two-member committee to probe into the accident, as family members of the victims took to the streets to protest, resulting in the deployment of a heavy contingent of police.

    The roof had collapsed at around 11:30am at the Ukhlarsi cremation ground, when the last rites of fruit seller Jai Ram, 65, who had died on Saturday night, were being conducted. Around 50-60 people were present at the funeral. Scores got trapped under the debris and could be rescued only after the local police and administration arrived at the spot. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also dispatched to the collapse site.

    Ghaziabad Police had registered a first information report (FIR) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any act rashly or negligently as to endanger human lives), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others) etc.

  • Mayawati condoles loss of lives in roof collapse at Muradnagar cremation ground

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: BSP chief Mayawati on Monday condoled the death of people in the roof collapse at a cremation ground in Uttar Pradesh’s Muradnagar, and demanded that the state government give stringent punishment to the guilty after conducting a timely probe.

    Twenty-four people, most of them attending a funeral, were killed and 17 others injured when the roof collapsed on Sunday.

    ALSO READ | Roof collapse in UP cremation ground: Shocked families prepare for second funeral in two days

    In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said, “The death of around two dozen people in a roof collapse at a cremation ground in Muradnagar in Ghaziabad is painful and saddening.

    The UP Government should conduct a timely and genuine probe, and the guilty persons should be given string punishment.

    In other words, no one should be shielded, and the aggrieved families should be given appropriate financial assistance”.

  • Roof collapse in UP cremation ground: Shocked families prepare for second funeral in two days

    By PTI
    GHAZIABAD: Arvind Kumar, a resident of Delhi, had gone to Muradnagar in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday to attend his grandfather’s funeral.

    His family is now preparing for a second funeral in two days after the roof of a shelter at the cremation ground collapsed, killing him and 22 others.

    “Everything is finished for us,” said an inconsolable Rakesh Kumar, the elder brother of Arvind.

    “I called my brother over his mobile. Someone else picked the phone and informed me about the roof collapse.

    I rushed to the spot. It took two hours to pull his body out of the rubble. He was declared dead soon after we reached the hospital,” he added.

    His mother, who narrowly escaped the accident, is inconsolable as she waited outside the mortuary of MMG district hospital for her 36-year-old son’s body.

    Twenty-three people, most of them attending a funeral, were killed and 15 others injured when the roof of a shelter at a cremation ground in Uttar Pradesh’s Muradnagar collapsed on Sunday, police said.

    Several people had taken shelter under the recently constructed structure while it rained.

    The dead, all of them men, were mostly relatives or neighbours of Jai Ram, who was being cremated at that time, officials said.

    Jaiveer Singh (50), hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, who was attending the funeral of his brother’s father-in-law, also lost his life.

    His brother Umesh Kumar said, “It took us one-and-a-half hours to rescue him. The administration used a crane to get the bodies out. Jaiveer was talking to me all this while.

    But he couldn’t make it and was declared dead.” While some complained of the lack of facilities at the hospital and accused the local administration of callous attitude in dealing with the incident, others demanded that the contractor responsible for the construction of the shelter at the cremation ground be arrested.

    “This shelter was built just a month or two ago. It collapsed following the first rain. The contractor should be put behind the bar immediately,” said another relative of Jaiveer.

    Uddham Singh (25), who had gone with his friends to attend the last rites of his neighbour, said he saw two people dying in front of him.

    “I was unconscious for the first 20 minutes. When I got back in senses, I saw my friends getting me out of the rubble. I am in pain now, but hopefully will recover soon,” said Singh, who had injuries in his shoulder and foot.

    The local people were the first to arrive at the cremation ground in Muradnagar’s Ukhlarsi village in Ghaziabad district, adjoining the national capital.

    Police followed by a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) unit also then reached the spot, pulling out the dead and the injured from the debris.

    Apart from the 23 dead, 15 others were admitted at different hospitals, Ghaziabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police Iraj Raja said.

    At least 18 of them had been identified by the evening.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the deaths.

    “I express my condolences to the near and dear ones of those who lost their lives in this accident, and also hope for a quick recovery of the injured,” Modi tweeted in Hindi.

    Adityanath announced Rs 2 lakh as financial relief for the families of each man killed.

    The chief minister also directed Meerut’s Divisional Commissioner and Additional Director General of the police zone to submit a report on the incident.

    Union minister V K Singh, who is a Member of Parliament from Ghaziabad, and several senior police and administration officials visited the accident site.

    Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Atul Garg, who is the local BJP MLA, met some of the injured at the government hospital here.

  • 23 dead, scores injured in roof collapse at Ghaziabad cremation ground

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Tragedy struck a cremation ground where 23 people were killed when the roof of a shelter collapsed in Muradnagar township in Ghaziabad district neighbouring National Capital Delhi on Sunday.

    While over 40 people were left injured, the toll is likely to soar further, said the Ghaziabad district administration sources. 

    According to Ghaziabad DM Ajay Shankar Pandey, over 40 people were rescued from under the rubble. The toll of the tragic incident had risen to 23, confirmed the DM. 

    Pandey added that relief and rescue work was being done by NDRF team and district administration on war footing. 

    “We have started a probe and we’ll take strict action against those found responsible for the tragic incident,” said Anita C Meshram, Meerut Divisional Commissioner while talking to media persons. 

    Of those who lost their life in the mishap, eight have yet to be identified, said the sources. According to local sources, initially over 40 people were trapped in the debris.

    The police and administration team arrived at the spot on receiving information and rescued the people, who were then rushed to Ghaziabad District Hospital.

    The sources claimed that around 100 people had gathered at the spot as they were part of the funeral procession of a local resident of Dayanand Colony, who died on Saturday.

    As the last rites were being performed, the roof of the shed came down crashing due to rains. As the roof collapsed, there was hardly any chance for anyone to escape, said the sources. 

    While a few got trapped in the rubble, some managed to save their lives by running. There was chaos and clamour all around. 

    The building structure at the cremation ground was not very old and it is feared that the incident took place because the building was constructed in an area where frequent water-logging takes place. Due to heavy rain, the soil moved and the incident happened, said the sources. 

    Meanwhile, UP CM Yogi Adityanath  taking the cognizance of the tragic incident, announced the ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to next kin of the deceased while extending his condolences to the bereaved families.

    He also instructed the officials to ensure that the financial assistance was provided to the dependents of the deceased in this accident immediately. 

    He has also instructed the Meerut Divisional Commissioner Anita C Meshram and ADG, Meerut Zone to submit a report regarding the incident.

    Both President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound grief on the tragic demise of so many people extending his condolences to the bereaved families. Taking to the Twitter, the PM sent his wishes for early recovery of those admitted in hospital. 

    Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also  expressed grief over the tragic incident  in Muradnagar.