The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has imposed a penalty of INR 1 crore on contractor J Kumar Infraprojects following the death of a worker at the under-construction Worli-Sewri Elevated Road project in Mumbai. Authorities are also facing demands to register criminal cases over repeated safety lapses at infrastructure sites.
The accident occurred around 12:10 am on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, near KEM Hospital in Parel during construction work on the Sewri-Worli Connector, a key route linking South Mumbai to the Atal Setu. A 19-year-old worker, Ravi Giri, was fatally injured when a suspended steel frame being moved by a crane struck him in the chest and abdomen. He later died at around 3:05 am while undergoing treatment at KEM Hospital.
Police have registered a negligence case against the crane operator and the site supervisor at Bhoiwada Police Station. Investigators said the supervisor was allegedly absent from the worksite when the incident occurred.
According to reports, MMRDA officials learned about the fatal accident nearly 20 hours later through media inquiries, as the contractor had failed to immediately report the incident. The authority subsequently penalised J Kumar Infraprojects INR 1 crore for safety violations and delayed reporting. French consultancy firm Asystem STUP, responsible for project supervision and safety monitoring, was also fined INR 25 lakh.
The incident has intensified concerns over recurring safety failures linked to MMRDA infrastructure projects. Earlier this year, another accident at the same Worli-Sewri project left a pedestrian seriously injured after an iron rod fell from the construction site. Reports also noted multiple fatal accidents in other projects handled by the same contractor, including Metro Line 9 works.
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