Worker suffocates to death while cleaning drain in Bhiwandi; contractor, civic officials booked

A 44-year-old worker suffocated to death while cleaning a drain in Maharashtra's Thane district, prompting police to register a case against a contractor and civic officials for negligence.

A 44-year-old worker suffocated to death while cleaning a nullah in Maharashtra's Thane district, prompting the police to register a case against a contractor and civic officials for negligence, an official said on Friday.

The victim, Subhash Navsha Dighe, a resident of Mithpada, suffocated to death after falling into a drain he was cleaing in the Shantinagar area on Thursday evening, the official said.

Based on a formal complaint lodged by the victim's daughter, the Shanti Nagar police registered a first information report under sections 106(1) (causing death by a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) and 307 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against construction owner-cum-contractor Balu Kharat Chandika and concerned officials of the BNMC's sanitation department.

The complaint alleged that the victim was forced to clean drains without basic life-saving gear, and the contractor failed to provide equipment, including life jackets, helmets, ropes, and boots.

The incident sparked a sit-in agitation by tribals at the Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) office.

The protesters blocked operations and initially refused to take possession of the deceased's body, demanding immediate punitive measures and compensation for the victim's family.

The civic administration handed over a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the victim's children and assured stringent action against the contractor.