SMC engineer held in Takshashila fire case owns properties worth Rs1.20 crore

Surat: Vinu Parmar, deputy engineer, Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), one of the five civic officers arrested in Takshashila Arcade fire case of May 24, owns properties worth Rs1,20, 23,982, approximately 116.61 per cent higher than his known source of income. This was revealed on Monday by officials of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) who are investigating him for conniving with builders of Takshashila Arcade and approving the illegal floor in the dome on the terrace of the structure.
Crime branch in its investigation into Takshashila Arcade fire case had deduced that SMC officials had allowed the illegal construction after taking bribe from the builders. An ACB team under ND Chauhan, deputy director, after carrying out searches for 25 days at different places had arrived at the conclusion that Parmar owned properties worth Rs1.20 crore. Subsequently, ACB officials registered an offence against Parmar under sections 13 (1) (B) and 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Twenty-two students had lost their lives in Takshashila Arcade fire tragedy. A total of nine people were arrested in the case. Those arrested include a couple of builders and deputy chief fire officer SK Acharya, Varachha fire officer Kirti Modh, executive engineer Parag Munshi, executive engineer Jayesh Solanki, deputy engineer Vinu Parmar and DGVCL deputy engineer Dipak Naik.