A number of Maharashtra and Mumbai administrators were sued for causing death due to negligence after Dr Deepak Amarapurkar, reportedly fell into an open manhole and drowned during the city’s worst floods in over a decade. The Bombay High Court is to hear the matter on 1 September.
A retailers’ association has filed a public interest litigation, holding every major authority responsible for the death of the gastroenterologist. Among those sued are chief secretary of Maharashtra, municipal commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and chief engineers in charge of the sewage operations and storm water drains.
“We decided there has to be some accountability because enough is enough. This kind of ‘chalta hai’ attitude won’t do,” said Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders’ Welfare Association.
Doctor’s Body Found at Worli Seashore
Dr Amarapurkar’s body was found at the seashore in Worli on 31 August, two days after the renowned Bombay Hospital gastroenterologist went missing near the Elphinstone Road station following heavy rains on 29 August.
The doctor’s body was completely swollen and was identified by the wrist watch and clothes he was wearing, Hindustan Times reported.
The 58-year-old doctor had left for home the previous evening in his car, but due to waterlogging on the road, he asked his driver to drop him near the Elphinstone Road station. From there, he started walking towards his residence, a senior police official said. He last contacted his family at 6:50 pm, ten minutes before he went untraceable.
The doctor went missing while he was walking towards his residence when it was pouring heavily, the official added.
“According to some eye witnesses, Dr Amrapurkar fell in a manhole and the police recovered his umbrella near it,” said Sunil Deshmukh, Assistant Commissioner of Police.
The said manhole has been cordoned off. A search operation was carried out with the help of the fire brigade and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation personnel; a missing complaint was lodged.
Torrential rains pounded Mumbai throughout the day on 29 August. The city gauged a whopping 298 mm rainfall, the highest in a day in August since 1997.
(With inputs from PTI and BloombergQuint)
(This story has been updated to reflect the Bombay High Court’s hearing of the plea.)
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