Dhaka: The High Court on Sunday directed the officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station to file a case against seven people, including three Dhaka Wasa officials, for their negligence of duty over the death of a man falling into an open manhole.

An HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order after observing the explanations submitted by the Managing Director of Dhaka Wasa and the chief executive officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) over the incident.

Those will be made accused in the case are Dhaka Wasa executive engineer (Drainage department-1) M Atikur Rahman, its deputy divisional engineer Syed Shahriar Hossain and its deputy assistant engineer M Jasim, Rubi Enterprise (contractor company) owner Mohammad Hossain, DSCC work assistant engineer M Rustom Ali, sub-assistant engineer M Mejbah Uddin Russell and its assistant engineer Saiful Islam.

Barrister Shafique Ahmed and Barrister ABM Altaf Hossain submitted the written explanations before the court on behalf of the Wasa MD and the DSCC CEO respectively.

The court also asked the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner to take divisional action against inspector of Paltan Police Station Rafiqul Islam and sub-inspector Mahibur Rahman Sujon as they recorded an FIR against ‘Monalisa Construction’ instead of Rubi Enterprise which is reconstructing the manhole.

On March 6, an unidentified man aged about 50, died as he fell into an open manhole on Culvert road in the evening while walking in the city’s Paltan area.

On March 7, the High Court summoned the Managing Director of Dhaka Wasa and the chief executive officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to appear before it on March 19 and explain the incident.