A rescue worker scanning the debris of the Ghatkopar building collapse in Mumbai
A day after a four-storey building collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar in Mumbai, Sena worker Sunil Shitap, who owns at least three flats on the ground floor of the building, was arrested after police questioning. The bodies of at least 17 people have been pulled out from the rubble of the building after it collapsed on Tuesday.
Residents of the housing society had alleged that the pillars of the building weakened after Shitap made structural changes to the ground floor as he wanted to convert it into a nursing home. A case has been booked against Shitap under IPC sections 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others). He was detained by the police late Tuesday night.
Shitap’s wife Swati had contested civic elections on a Shiv Sena ticket this year. She lost to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s Archana Bhalerao. The Sena, however, said Shitap was not associated with the party though his wife was given a ticket.
While 17 people were killed in the accident, 11 others, who are injured, have been admitted to various hospitals. A joint team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Fire Brigade led the rescue efforts. While five persons were admitted to the Rajawadi hospital, eight were taken to the Shantiniketan hospital. Search efforts are still continuing.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the collapse site and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. “An offence has been registered and police are investigating. I have directed the commissioner of BMC to investigate and submit report within 15 days,” he said.
