Odisha flyover collapse:LOCs against two directors of pvt firm

The police today issued Look Out Circulars (LOCs) against two directors of a private construction firm in connection with the collapse of a flyover here three days ago that left one person dead and 11 injured.
Police issued LOCs against two members of the board of directors of Panda Infra Projects, which was executing the flyover project near Bomikhal, to prevent them from leaving the country, Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania said.
While four persons, including another director of Panda Infra Projects, Pratap Panda, have already been arrested in connection with the collapse of under-construction flyover on Sunday, two other directors of the construction firm, Sujata Panda and Santosh Panda, are absconding, the police said.

Besides Pratap Panda, the three others arrested in the case are Bansidhar Praharaj, Deputy Executive Engineer in Works Department, Kishore Rout, Assistant Engineer in Works Department, and Vipul Chakraborty, Project Manager in Panda Infra Projects, he said.
Police have registered a case against five persons, including three directors of Panda Infra Projects.
Those named in the case have been booked under different sections of the IPC, including Section 304 (culpable homicide), at Laxmisagar police station, he said.

They have also been booked under Section 337 of IPC (causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt) and 34 (criminal act).

Teams of forensic experts and engineers have visited the accident site as part of the investigation, and police also carried out search at the office of the construction company, the police said.
While Prahjaraj and Rout were suspended soon after the mishap, Executive Engineer Dukhabandhu Behera was placed under suspension later for prima facie lapses, a senior official said.
A high-level probe is in progress into the flyover collapse by a committee comprising Chief Engineer (Designs) and Chief Engineer (Roads), Works Department Secretary N K Pradhan told reporters.
A 39-year-old businessman was killed and 11 others were injured in the accident.

Opposition parties have blamed the BJD-led Odisha government for the mishap and targeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also in charge of the Works Department.
Both the BJP and Congress have also alleged that a former state minister had favoured the construction firm, which was once blacklisted for security issues and that its case was pending in court.