A crane operator booked on charges of negligence in connection with the death of three technicians during the shoot of actor Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 in Chennai has been picked up for questioning, police said on Friday.

Three people, including an assistant director, were killed and nine others injured when the crane came crashing down on the sets of the movie at a private film city in suburban Nazrathpet on Wednesday.

On Friday, a police official involved in the investigation of the case said the crane operator has been detained for questioning, but did not divulge any details.

The operator had been earlier booked for various offences under IPC including causing death by negligence.

On reports that Haasan and film's director Shankar among others could be summoned for inquiry in connection with the case, the official said the future course of the case alone would determine that.

Assistant director Krishna, art assistant Chandran and production assistant Madhu were killed when the crane snapped late on Wednesday.

Haasan on Thursday said he missed death by a 'whisker' saying ace director Shankar could have also died had he not moved away from the spot just four seconds earlier.

'We escaped by a whisker. Four seconds before (the incident), the director (Shankar) and cameraman moved away and I was standing nearer along with the heroine (Kajal Aggarwal),' he had said.