No progress yet in Hingna drownings

Nagpur: A questionable probe by a so-called committee set up by guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has not benefited the inquiry into the drowning death of six women at Sawangi-Deoli village in Hingna taluka even after a fortnight. Amid a blame game, the families of the victims, all from economically weaker sections, are completely neglected.
Apart from the initial compensation of Rs25,000 given by Bawankule and another Rs5,000 given by a local politician to each family, the government seems to have forgotten those who had lost their family members.The police department has not even registered an offence in the case, citing the lack of a report by the committee. In regular course, police register an offence of causing death due to negligence under section 304A of Indian Penal Code following a complaint by a victim’s kin or anyone else.
Six women, who had gone to a weir on the outskirts of the village for a puja, had drowned in a hollow depression dug by a contractor to ensure water supply for construction work. The villagers had claimed that the excavation in the bed of the weir was not levelled by the contractor before ending the work. The women, oblivious of the depression, fell into it while trying to rescue one another.
There was an outcry against the concerned contractor when Bawankule and collector Sachin Kurve visited. Bawankule had then promised prompt action and setting up of a committee to look into the incident. Apart from collector and police, some members from local civic administration were also included in the panel along with local farmers. The committee was supposed to table its report quickly.
Collector Sachin Kurve, who too had visited the spot after the mishap, said the district administration has not given anyone clean chit in the case. “The issue is technical and requires expertise to assess the culpability. Let police department seek report from the concerned department,” he said. “I have sent a proposal for compensation from the chief minister’s relief fund,” he added.
Zonal DCP Deepali Masirkar said the cops, being part of the committee, will wait for the panel’s report. Bawankule was not available for comment.