VADODARA: The Vadodara city police on Tuesday, December 31, 2025, registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the owners of a private agency, four days after a 40-year-old man tragically died after falling into an open and unprotected water drainage chamber. The victim, Vipul Zala, was the son of a retired Gujarat police officer.
The Fatal Incident and Police Action
The incident occurred on the evening of December 26. Zala had gone out for dinner with his family in the Manjalpur area. While parking his vehicle, he accidentally fell into a 15-feet deep drainage chamber that had been left open by workers. The chamber belonged to a water tank near the Manjalpur Sports Complex.
When Zala did not return, his worried family began searching and found him in the open pit. Despite being rushed to the hospital after a call to fire and emergency services, he was declared dead on arrival. An FIR was subsequently lodged by Zala's wife against Eco Facility Management Services, the agency contracted by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) for cleaning work.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Pranav Kataria stated that the primary investigation revealed clear negligence, as the deep chamber was left uncovered without any warning signs or barricades. "We have lodged an FIR at Manjalpur police station and summoned the owners of the agency... However, they are currently untraceable," Kataria said, adding that the probe is ongoing to identify others in supervisory roles responsible for the oversight.
Congress Cites High Court Ruling, Demands Wider Action
Intensifying the pressure, the Vadodara city unit of the Congress party submitted a memorandum to the Police Commissioner on Tuesday. They demanded that an FIR be filed against a wider set of officials, including the VMC Commissioner, elected corporators, heads of departments, engineers, and contractors.
The party's demand hinges on a recent Gujarat High Court judgment. They referenced Justice M.K. Thakker's December 17 ruling in a 2007 case involving a citizen's death due to a cattle attack on a city road. In that verdict, the court held the VMC 70% liable for "wilful negligence" in maintaining public safety, applying the principle of res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself).
The Congress argued that the High Court's logic applies directly to the Manjalpur tragedy. "Had the Municipal Commissioner implemented this judgment, it would have prevented Zala’s death," the memorandum stated. The party also accused the BJP corporators of Ward 18 of not visiting the grieving family and instead making negative comments about them in media clips.
Legal Precedent and Official Silence
The High Court case cited by the Congress involved Makbul Gaffar Ghaniwala, who died in 2007 after a stray bull hit his motorcycle. The VMC had appealed a lower court order holding it 70% negligent, arguing the accident was due to the victim's own driving. The High Court dismissed the VMC's appeal, upholding the finding of contributory negligence by the civic body.
This legal precedent now forms the crux of the political opposition's attack on the VMC's administrative failure. When sought for comment, VMC Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu was unavailable. The police investigation continues as the search for the absconding contractors remains a priority.
