An old man from Belagavi died while he slipped and fell at a Smart City work site near the Central Bus Stand in Belagavi on Saturday.
Mehmood Dastagir Mulla (65) of Gandhi Nagar was walking from the Town Police Station to the government guest house at night when he fell into a trench dug near the bus stand entrance. He fell between rows of steel bars.
A steel bar pierced his neck and he bled to death. People who gathered at the spot tried to rescue him but they could not pull him out. He died within minutes. He was dead before an ambulance could reach the spot.
A case has been registered at the Market Police Station.
Meanwhile, the police said, contractor S. Shivakumar was arrested following a complaint filed by relatives of the deceased.
MLA Anil Benake called police officers to the spot and directed them to file a criminal complaint against the contractor. He lost his cool on the Smart City officers and contractors. He said that he will punish them publicly if they continued to behave irresponsibly, without regard to public safety.
