Malleshwaram Park Tragedy: 11-Year-Old Dies After Gate Collapse, Officials Suspended

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced on Tuesday that an assistant engineer has been suspended, and a notice has been issued to the executive engineer following the tragic collapse of a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) park gate, which resulted in the death of an 11-year-old boy on Sunday, as reported by the Indian Express.

Shivakumar, who also serves as the Bengaluru Development Minister, declared a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the victim's family. He stated, "An order of suspension has been issued against Assistant Engineer Srinivas Raju for negligence. Furthermore, steps are being taken to suspend Assistant Executive Engineers K. Shanthala, Devaraju, and Baby Ayesha Hussain, while Executive Engineer L. Venkatesh has received a show-cause notice," according to the Indian Express.

What Happened on September 22?

On Sunday, Niranjan, a fifth-grade student at a BBMP school, lost his life when a gate collapsed on him at a playground in Malleshwaram. The police reported that the incident occurred around 4 PM as the boy attempted to open the gate to enter the playground. Eyewitnesses revealed that he had arrived at Rajashekara playground on his bicycle and was trying to open the gate when it fell, resulting in fatal head injuries.

A case has been filed under BNS section 106(1) (causing death by negligence) against BBMP officials.

Negligence by BBMP?

Local residents have expressed concerns about the poor condition of the gate, questioning the lack of regular maintenance and inspections by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city's municipal authority.

BBMP Executive Engineer N. Venkatesh said, "The gate was constructed two years ago, and we handed over the maintenance of Rajashekara park to them in 2022. There was no watchman present at the time of the incident, nor were there BBMP officials maintaining the park."