A five-year-old boy has died after falling into a pit opened for installation in a lift of an under-construction building in Kadugodi, the Bengaluru Police said on Thursday.
"The incident took place under Kadugodi police station limits. Based on the complaint filed by the child's mother, an FIR has been registered," the official added.
According to police, the case was registered against one Sunil, who was the owner and caretaker of the building.
The deceased, identified as Suhas Gowda, fell into the pit around 9 am when he was playing with his friends near the construction site. A five-foot-deep pit dug to accommodate a lift shaft caused the death of the child. The pit was filled with water after heavy rain battered the city.
The incident of civic apathy comes two days after the capital city witnessed billing collapse in which eight people died. An under-construction building collapsed at Babusapalya in Bengaluru. Teams from the fire and emergency department, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force were pressed into rescue operations since the incident occurred during heavy downpour on Tuesday.
Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident, the police said.
"Muniraja Reddy under whose name the building was being constructed, his son Bhuvan and the contractor Muniyappa who was building it have been arrested in connection with the incident," a senior police official said.
"Permission was only for construction of a four-storey building but seven floors were being constructed," he said.
Meanwhile, Assistant Executive Engineer Vinay K has been suspended by the city's civic body BBMP in connection with the incident with immediate effect for serious dereliction of duty. Lokayukta Justice B S Patil, who visited the spot, termed it as an "unfortunate incident" and assured that all necessary actions will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen.
