In a tragic incident in Uttar Pradesh, police in Dataganj have registered a case against four engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) and an unnamed Google Maps official, according to a report by HT. This comes after the death of three men whose car fell off an under-construction bridge.
The accident took place on the Bareilly-Budaun border when two brothers, Nitin and Ajit, and their companion Amit followed Google Maps directions while travelling from Noida to Faridpur for a wedding. Their vehicle plunged into the Ramganga River from a partially constructed bridge in the Dataganj area early on Sunday.
Police claimed that Google Maps directed the driver onto an unsafe route leading to the incomplete bridge, which lacked safety barriers and warning signs. Local authorities stated that the bridge had been damaged in last year's floods.
According to the report, Faridpur Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam noted that the absence of safety measures contributed to the accident. An FIR under Section 105 of the BNS Act has been filed against two assistant engineers and two junior engineers from PWD, along with unnamed individuals. A Google Maps representative is also under investigation, though not formally named in the FIR, according to SHO Gaurav Bishnoi.
Budaun District Magistrate Nidhi Srivastava stated that corrective measures are underway, with instructions given to inspect roads, bridges, flyovers, and underpasses to prevent similar incidents. A Google spokesperson expressed condolences to the families of the victims and mentioned that they are cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
The spokesperson told Business Today, "Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. We're working closely with the authorities and providing our support to investigate the issue."