Thane:
Top civic officials and a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator have been arrested in the Thane building collapse case that has claimed 74 lives so far. (
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Suspended Deputy Municipal Commissioner Deepak Chavan, Assistant Municipal Commissioner Balasaheb Andhale and NCP corporator Hira Patil are among the six fresh arrests. Mr Patil was arrested for failing to act as the local corporator against unauthorised construction in his area despite receiving a complaint. He had allegedly taken a bribe from the builders to not act against them.
The police has booked them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligence, criminal conspiracy and common intent.
Real-estate developers Jamil Qureshi and Salim Sheikh were arrested yesterday and booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. They had gone missing on Thursday when the building came down crashing like a pack of cards, trapping people under the debris. (
Read more) Eight arrests have been made so far in the case.
All the eight men have been brought to a local court.
The illegal seven-storey building, which was under construction, had collapsed at 6:30 pm on Thursday. Rescue work lasted for nearly 40 hours. Over 60 people have been injured; some are still in hospital battling injuries.
The building had reportedly come up in just six weeks, with sub-standard material. An eighth floor was under construction when it collapsed. Homes, offices and shops had been set up within the building without an occupancy certificate.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has ordered an inquiry into the case.
One of the angles of the inquiry will be how the building was allowed to come up. Mangal Patil, a Thane resident, had complained thrice since February about the building and even submitted photographs to the Thane Municipal Corporation, which is controlled by the Shiv Sena. He sent copies to the Chief Minister's office, but says no one responded.