ISLAMABAD: The Bharakahu Police on Wednesday received an application seeking registration of a case against a construction company over the deaths of three labourers who had died due to falling of a crane over them on Tuesday, but the police have not yet formally registered the case.

The complaint has been filed by one of the labourers employed by the company for the construction of a multi-storey building, Dawn has learnt.

Three labourers had been killed and one got injured after a crane broke down in Bharakahu area on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Qaiser, Samar and Waris whereas the injured was identified as Mohammad Iqbal.

Sources in the police said that instead of registering a case in response to the complaint, the police had suggested that a proper inquiry should be investigated into the incident. The written complaint filed by a labourer Shahid Mehmood, however, has been included in the daily diary of the police station.

According to the complaint, three labourers had died on the spot after falling of the crane. He alleged that the incident had happened due to negligence and carelessness of the owners of the company and other responsible staff.

Legal experts, including an official of the police legal branch, said that the police were duty bound to register an FIR (First Information Report) of the case which was cognisable under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

They said that a case under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) could be registered in response to the complaint after which the police should launch an investigation of the case.

During the investigation, they said, the police would be required to check the equipment, besides investigating, if the labourers had been provided safety gears during the construction work.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2023