Mumbai: An unauthorised borewell drilling attempt by a private contractor damaged a section of the underground Metro Line 3 tunnel near CSMT earlier this month, prompting the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) to register an FIR after conducting a technical assessment of the impact.The incident occurred on March 5 within the premises of a govt office near Metro Cinema in south Mumbai. The FIR was lodged on March 13 at Azad Maidan police station by Pankaj Sharma, a civil manager with Metro 3, against Ram Babu Rai, owner of Shri Chandrama Water Supply.According to the police, Rai operates a well in the Dhobi Talav area near Metro Cinema and began drilling an additional borewell nearby without obtaining mandatory permissions. “He was digging a borewell near the well, and during the process it struck the metro tunnel,” a police source said.MMRC officials rushed to the site after being alerted and carried out a detailed inspection of the affected stretch of the operational Colaba–Bandra–Seepz Metro-3 corridor. Authorities clarified that the incident did not impact train services, and operations continue as scheduled.Police have invoked multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with the Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act 2002. Section 125 of the BNS pertains to negligent acts endangering human life or safety, while Sections 324(5) and 326(b) deal with mischief causing damage to property, particularly critical public infrastructure and essential services. Section 78 of the Metro O&M Act specifically addresses damage to metro railway property and acts that may compromise operational safety.Officials reiterated that any excavation or construction activity within a 50-metre radius of metro infrastructure requires prior approval from MMRC. In this case, no such permission had been obtained. Civic officials also confirmed that no application had been submitted to the BMC for borewell drilling clearance.Police have issued a notice to Rai seeking relevant documents and permissions. Assistant inspector Dattaji Desai is investigating the case. MMRC has urged strict adherence to safety norms to prevent risks to vital urban infrastructure.
