Dombivli Tragedy: 60-Year-Old Man Dies After Falling Into Open Water Valve Chamber; Family Alleges MIDC Negligence

A 60-year-old pedestrian died after falling into an open water valve chamber in Dombivli on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Babu Dharmu Chavan, a labourer and resident of Pisavli village in Dombivli. He lived with his three sons and other family members.

The incident took place between 4 and 5 PM in the MIDC area of Gandhi Nagar, under the jurisdiction of Manpada Police Station, while Chavan was on his way home. He allegedly fell into the open chamber, following which locals and passersby rushed to help. He was taken to a nearby hospital with serious head injuries and died during treatment on Monday.

After his death, Chavan’s family and relatives initially refused to claim his body, demanding that a case be filed against the MIDC for negligence. In response, Manpada police reached the hospital and attempted to resolve the issue.

Arvind Chavan, the victim’s son, told The Free Press Journal that his father died during treatment on Monday at around 12:30 PM. "Police officials assured us they would conduct a proper inquiry and take appropriate action," he said. After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family for the final rites.

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Sandeepan Shinde, Senior Police Inspector of Manpada Police Station, said, "We rushed to the hospital after receiving information that the family had refused to claim the body. We assured them that a proper inquiry would be conducted. If anyone is found guilty, action will be taken."

Meanwhile, MIDC officials stated that someone may have tampered with the chamber cover. "The valve man usually opens the valve for water supply in the morning and evening. We are also conducting an internal investigation into the matter," said an MIDC official.