Vadodara: In a case involving the death of Vipulsinh Mohansinh Zala, son of a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), the Manjalpur police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Zala accidentally fell into an open sewer in the Manjalpur area on the night of December 26. The case has been registered against the owners and responsible staff of a private agency tasked with maintenance work.

Vipulsinh’s wife, Madhaviba Vipulsinh Zala, lodged the complaint, according to which the incident occurred near the Sports Complex close to Darbar Chowkdi. Madhaviba stated in her FIR that the family had gone out for dinner at Chinese food stalls in the area. Vipulsinh went to park their car nearby but failed to return. When repeated phone calls went unanswered and his mobile phone was found switched off, family members began searching the area.

During the search, they noticed that a main sewer cover near the Municipal Corporation’s overhead and underground water tank compound was lying open, with the lid displaced to one side. Using a mobile phone flashlight, the family spotted Vipulsinh’s footwear floating in the water inside the drain.

Local residents alerted emergency services, following which personnel from the fire brigade and the 108 ambulance service arrived at the spot. Vipulsinh was pulled out of the drain, which was approximately 20–25 feet deep, and rushed to the hospital. However, doctors declared him dead during treatment.

Police said a preliminary investigation revealed that the sewer lid had been left open without any barricading, warning signs, or caution boards, despite the area being accessible to the public. This, they said, amounted to criminal negligence.

Based on the complaint, the Manjalpur police have registered a case under Sections 105 and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the owners and employees of Eco Facility Management Services, the agency responsible for cleaning and maintenance work at the site. Further investigation is underway to ascertain individual accountability and any lapses by civic authorities.

Notably, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation has also suspended an engineer and served a notice to the Deputy Executive Engineer over the negligence in the case. DeshGujarat