Mumbra building collapse: Local scribe,architect held

Thane police on Monday arrested an architect and a local journalist in connection with the Mumbra building collapse last week,which claimed more than 70 lives.

Thane police on Monday arrested an architect and a local journalist in connection with the Mumbra building collapse last week,which claimed more than 70 lives. The probe now threatens to bring more skeletons tumbling out of the local administrations closet,with more government servants coming under the scanner

The two accused arrested on Monday have been identified as architect Farook Chapra (59) and Rafiq Kamdar (44),the editor of a weekly newspaper in Mumbra. Chapra was involved in the construction of the buildings while Kamdar acted as a mediator on several aspects. Chapra was arrested from Navi Mumbai while Kamdar was arrested from Mumbra, said Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) Milind Bharambe,Thane.

Police said builders Jameel Qureshi and Salim Sheikh,who were arrested earlier,have named four-five government servants. The police have also arrested three civic officials,a policeman and a corporator for allegedly taking money from the duo.

The police said five others,including partners of Qureshi and Sheikh as well as contractors in the construction business who were associated with the buildings construction,are wanted in the case.

We have been trying to find out deep it goes. On Sunday night,Qureshi and Sheikh named four-five government servants,in the municipal corporation as well as the police department, said an officer.

Some more names have come to light. We cannot comment further until we verify this information, Bharambe said.

Police are also investigating the duos intention behind maintaining detailed records of pay-offs,which were found in Qureshis residence. The documents were instrumental in the arrests of the government servants. Police are trying to find out if the records were meant to act as insurance against double-cross by the officers,or whether the duo had plans to blackmail them.

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According to investigations,it seems that the duo maintained the records only for accounting purposes, Bharambe said.

Contractor held,three builders booked for constructing illegal structures

On Sunday night,Mumbra police registered a complaint against three builders and a contractor for allegedly constructing two illegal structures. Senior inspector Arun Sonde said Mehboob Sheikh,who was given the contract to build one of the buildings,was arrested on Monday.

The building is under construction,with four floors complete and several flats already sold,police said.

The builders constructed the buildings without any permissions. Further,they showed customers fake permission documents,ostensibly from the TMC. Both buildings are five storeyed and located near Mumbra railway station, said DCP Ashok Dudhe,Zone 1,Thane.

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Sheikh has been remanded in police custody for two days.

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