Forensic team raises issue of negligence since collapsed gate of the Mumbai Cricket Association Club that allegedly killed guard was mended before they reached the scene
Gate No 5 of Mumbai Cricket Association Club
After Gate No 5 of Bandra’s Mumbai Cricket Association Club allegedly collapsed on 70-year-old watchman Suresh Kochrekar on Friday, killing him, the Bandra Kurla Complex police had told this paper that they suspected he had died of a prolonged heart ailment.
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Also read: 70-year-old guard dies as Mumbai Cricket Association Club gate falls on him
The forensic team from Sion hospital that is investigating the case put speculation to rest in a report it submitted on Saturday which stated that Kochrekar had died due to multiple internal injuries.
Gate No 5 of Mumbai Cricket Association Club
The incident took place at 11.30 am on Friday after which Kochrekar, a resident of Nirmal Nagar in Bandra, was rushed to Gurunanak Hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival. Dr Narendra Shah from Gurunanak Hospital said, “The patient was brought after an MCA gate fell on him. We pronounced him dead on arrival and informed the BKC police. The investigating officer carried out a panchnama of the body and took the body to Sion Hospital for post mortem.”
The report
The body reached Sion at 7.30 pm on Friday and the post mortem was carried out on Saturday morning. “While there were no specific external injuries, multiple fractures, including of the ribs, and damage to internal organs resulted in the death of the victim,” a forensic doctor requesting anonymity told this reporter. The cause of death was mentioned as poly trauma.
When the forensic team asked the investigating officers if they could visit the site of the accident, they were informed that the gate in question had already been repaired. When a mid-day reporter had reached the spot three hours after the accident, the gate showed no signs of collapse.
The BKC police has filed an Accidental Death Report in the matter. “An examination of the site could have raised other possible factors involved in the death. The team had to derive conclusions based on the history provided by them. In an accident case, this amounts to destruction of evidence and such a case should’ve been filed but only an ADR has been registered under Section 174 CRPC,” said the senior forensic expert.
Kundlik Nigade, senior police inspector from BKC police station offered a vague answer when asked if a case of negligence causing death and destruction of evidence would be filed. “We don’t know anything about the gate being repaired before investigation. If there are witnesses to confirm this, we can record their statements. How can we file a case of negligence when we don’t know whose mistake caused the gate collapse? We have only filed an ADR and investigations are on,” said Ugale. When Sunday mid-day called Ajay Desai, general manager, MCA Recreation Centre, he said, "I am driving and will get in touch with you within half an hour." His phone was unavailable until the time of going to press.
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