Thane crash:Builder held at Mankhurd

MUMBAI, November 13: Sharad Mansingh Pawar, builder of the ill-fated Sairaj Apartments at Kisan Nagar in Thane, committed yet another hercul...

MUMBAI, November 13: Sharad Mansingh Pawar, builder of the ill-fated Sairaj Apartments at Kisan Nagar in Thane, committed yet another herculean mistake: he forgot to switch off his cellular telephone. Which is how one little beep from the tiny gizmo gave the game away this afternoon.

Wagle Estate police, who were keeping tabs on Pawar8217;s phone since Saturday8217;s calamity, detected an outgoing call from the builder8217;s cellphone at noon today. He was subsequently arrested from a godown near Mankhurd railway station and charged under Sections 304a, 326, 324 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, acting with the intention of death, voluntarily causing grevious hurt and common intention of grevious harm. Pawar will be produced in the Thane Sessions Court tomorrow.

Pawar, who spoke to Express Newsline at the police station, says he has been beset by remorse ever since the tragedy but has been absconding for fear of the consequences. 8220;I have been following the media reportsregarding the crash and the mention of my name. But the fear of the consequences made me abscond,8221; said Pawar, whose disregard for the law cost 18 persons their lives and scores of others their unauthorised homes at Wagle Estate. The other buildings constructed by him in the neighbourhood include Poonam, Pitambari, Shwetambari and Kadambari. Sairaj, in fact, was the last to be constructed.

Meanwhile, a scare following the detection of cracks in two more buildings at Kisan Nagar has forced the evacuation of 25 more families. Panic gripped Bhatwadi area in Kisan Nagar when word of the impending tragedy at Jami Manzil and Patil Niwas spread.

8220;Someone phoned the fire brigade saying the buildings were sinking and soon there was pandemonium as everyone rushed out of their homes screaming,8221; says Sunderlal Malviya, an evacuee of Sairaj Apartments who was poking about the rubble all day for his missing belongings. He claims the cracks appeared since the buildings were declared dangerous in 1996. 8220;People inKisan Nagar area had been living in such fear that even the slightest rumour was enough to start a panic wave,8221; he adds.

Residents of Bhatwadi complain they were misled by rumours that the two buildings were sinking. They were even planning to move back in once the panic had subsided. However, at the urging of Thane Mayor Premsingh Rajput, who visited the area today, they decided against it. 8220;Since the buildings are dangerous why do you want to take risk,8221; Rajput had said, promising to accommodate them elsewhere. Victims of Saturday8217;s crash have been accommodated in a transit camp at a nearby school and will provided houses at Vartak Nagar and Ghodbunder Road.