Bomikhal bridge mishap: Odisha police arrest Panda Infra chief

Bhubaneswar: The Twin City Commissionerate Police today arrested Pratap Panda, chief of Panda Infra, the company that had undertaken the construction work of Bomikhal flyover in Odisha capital whose iron rods collapsed last evening killing a labourer and injuring another.

Panda surrendered before Laxmisagar police this morning following which he was arrested, informed Police Commissioner YB Khurania. He has been arrested under Sections 304, 337, 338 and 34 of IPC, police sources said.

Panda was later taken to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on health grounds after he produced documents pertaining to his kidney operation.

He was then brought back to Bhubaneswar and produced before a court in the evening. Later, he was sent to Jharpada Special Jail here.

Panda was arrested in a similar case earlier in September, last year. A portion of the flyover had caved in leading to death of a person.

Notably, a labourer died and another was critically injured after a pile of iron rods fell on them near the under-construction flyover bridge last evening.

The deceased, identified as Ajay Vumicha (38) of Sundergarh, died in Capital Hospital while Ananda Kumar Nayak was shifted to AMRI Hospital in the city.

They were trapped when a stack of iron rods came crashing on them and the two got stuck for around 20 minutes before they were rescued by local people and fire brigade personnel.