Saket building collapse: Day after arrest, owner sent to three days of police custody
Immediately after the collapse, the MCD suspended two junior officials.
After hearing brief arguments from both sides, Judicial Magistrate First Class Nirmala Singh of Saket Court sent Sejwal to three days of police custody. (Express Photo) A Delhi court on Tuesday sent the 71-year-old owner of a building in South Delhi’s Saidulajab area near Saket Metro station, which collapsed on Saturday killing six people, to three days of police custody.
“He’s the owner of the building…we need to see the ownership record. Apart from him, other accused are absconding. The previous builder also did illegal construction. The owner knows his name…we want to track him down,” the police submitted in court.
The owner, Karambir Sejwal, was arrested on Monday, two days after the collapse that killed five engineering and medical graduates and the owner of a makeshift canteen adjacent to the building. According to the police, this building was allegedly undergoing illegal construction.
“A case was registered under Section 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. No evidence has come in yet… this building was in an area that is flocky. My own office was in that area,” argued advocate Rajiv Mohan who appeared for the accused.
After hearing brief arguments from both sides, Judicial Magistrate First Class Nirmala Singh of Saket Court sent Sejwal to three days of police custody.
Sejwal, who was absconding after the incident, was traced to his farmhouse in Green Avenue, in Southwest Delhi’s Vasant Kunj on Monday.
According to the police, he owns several properties in the Saidulajab area, which he has rented out to businesses and individuals.
During the collapse on Saturday, five medical and engineering graduates and the owner of a makeshift canteen where the students were eating were killed after the building on Westend Marg in Saidulajab came down in a heap of rubble. According to the police’s submissions in court, multiple others were injured as well.
Saidulajab is an urban village adjacent to Saket Metro station, populated with paying guest (PG) accommodations and small private offices.
Legally, structures in this area cannot exceed ground plus three storeys. However, two additional floors were being built in the collapsed building.
Immediately after the collapse, the MCD suspended two junior officials, Assistant Engineer Sudesh Singh Chauhan and Junior Engineer Amar Jain, of Building Department 2 of its South Zone jurisdiction.
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