Inderlok building collapse: Owner of adjacent plot held

The accused had illegally dug up land near the 50-year-old building which triggered its cave-in, police said.

A house in the neighbourhood too was damaged when the building collapsed on Saturday. (Source: IE photo by Ravi Kanojia)

Police on Sunday arrested the owner and builder of the land adjacent to the four-storey building in North Delhi that collapsed on Saturday morning, leaving 10 persons — including five children — dead. The accused had illegally dug up land near the 50-year-old building which triggered its cave-in, police said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of North Municipal Corporation, Praveen Gupta, on Sunday convened a meeting of Additional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of all zones as well as senior engineers of the civic body, and directed them to conduct an extensive survey of old buildings to identify those that pose a threat. He also directed the team to issue eviction notices to those found sensitive for habitation.

The commissioner asked the civic officials to give orders to stop construction immediately if illegal construction is noticed in areas under their jurisdiction.

“Javed, the owner of the plot adjacent to the building which collapsed in Inderlok, was absconding after the incident on Saturday. He was arrested today. An FIR has been filed under Sections 304A (death by negligence) and 337 (endangering life and personal property). We are still investigating the role of the owners of the building which collapsed,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Madhur Verma said.
Verma said, “Javed had demolished an existing structure on the land, after which he began illegally excavating the area. That shook the foundation of the building, leading to the collapse.”

However, members of the Residents’ Welfare Association pinned the blame on residents who undertake “illegal” construction.
“Primarily, it is the fault of residents who illegally build extensions over the weekend to escape the scrutiny of inspectors because the municipal corporations of Delhi remain closed on Saturday and Sunday. Javed was doing exactly that. In fact, when he digging the land, residents of the building that collapsed objected to it. But Javed refused to listen,” Abdul Wahid, president of RWA , Inderlok, said.

“The Municipal Corporation of Delhi looks the other way when people complain about dilapidated structures which might be a threat. We had notified the MCD about 232 high-risk structures in the Civil Lines, SP and Karol Bagh zones. But the MCD pegged the number at 48.

The civic body has not even enforced the statutory annual re-evaluation of buildings and construction structures despite us writing to them repeatedly,” Ashok Bhasin, president of North Delhi Residents’ Welfare Federation, claimed.

(With Sarah Hafeez)

Naveed Iqbal

Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More

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delhi Building collapse